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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  873-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibiiographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


0 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couieur 


I     I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 


D 


D 


Couverture  endommag^e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pellicul6e 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  giographiques  en  couieur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couieur  (i.e.  autre  que  bieue  ou  noire) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


D 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couieur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReliA  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout6es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais.  lorsque  ceia  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6tA  fiimies. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meiileur  exempiaire 
qu'il  iui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  oxtails 
de  cet  exempiaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibiiographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I     I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pages  de  couieur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaur^es  et/ou  peilicul6es 

Pages  discoio'jred.  stained  or  foxei 
Pages  d^color^es,  tacheties  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparenr.e 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponibSo 


I — I  Pages  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I — I  Pages  discoio'jred.  stained  or  foxed/ 

I      I  Pages  detached/ 

I      I  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

r~1  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata.  une  pelure. 
etc..  ont  4tA  fiimAes  A  nouveau  de  fa^on  A 
obtenir  la  meiiieure  Image  possible. 


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si 
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T 
si 

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di 

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ir 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fiimi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


10X 


14X 


18X 


22X 


26X 


30X 


y 


12X 


16X 


aox 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Tha  copy  filmsd  her«  ha*  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarotity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
gAnArositA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condiUon  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  are  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  prii<tad  or  illustratad  impres- 
sion, and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  impression. 


Tha  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  ^^-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  tha 
method: 


Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  At*  raproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  l'axamplaira  filmA,  at  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darnidre  paga  qui  comporta  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autras  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmis  en  commandant  par  la 
premiere  paga  qui  comporta  una  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  tarminant  par 
la  darnidre  paga  qui  comporta  una  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darnidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartas,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
raproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  an  bas,  an  pranant  la  nombre 
d'images  n;..«cessaira.  Les  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

The  Gold  Fields 


m-- 


ILLUSTRATED 


/) 


TABLE    or    DISTANCES. 


Nautical 
Miles. 

San  Francisco  to  Seattle 820 

San  Francisco  to  Sitka  (outside) 1295 

San  FranciscotoUnalaska  (outside)  2040 

Seattle  to  Juneau 976 

Seattle  to  Port  Townsend  — 38 

Port  Townsend  to  Victoria  - : 32 

Victoria  to  Nanaimo 76 

Nanaimoto  Seymour  Narrows  ; 80 

Seymour  Narrows  to  Mary  Island 455 

Mary  Island  to  Ketchikan 40 

Ketchikan  to  New  Metlakahtla 16 

Ketchikan  to  Loring 25 

Loring  to  Yaas  Bay 19 

Loring  to  Wrangel 90 

Wrangel  to  Wrangel  Narrows 32 

Wrangel  Narrows  to  Juneau 96 

Juneau  to  Treadwell  Mill 2yi 

Juneau  to  Berner's  Bay  46 

Juneau  to  Chilcat 90 


Nautical 
Miles. 

100 


Juneaii  to  Ty-a 

Chilcat  to  Glacier  Bay 146 

Glacier  Bay  toSitka 158 

Juneau^fo.  Sitka - 185 

Sitka  to  Killisnoo-- 72 

Sitka  to. Hot  Springs 15 

Sitka  to  Vakutat — -  210 

Sitka  to  Nuchek 44° 

Sitka  to  Kadiak  - 560 

Sitka  to  Karluk- 628 

Sitka  toUnga 888 

Sitka  to  Sand  Point... 882 

Sitka  to  BelkofTsky 942 

Sitka  to  Unalaska 1250 

Unalaska  to  Seal  Islands 220 

Unalaska  to  St.  Michael's 745 

Unalaska  to  Bering  Strait 820 

Bering  Strait  to  Point  Barrow 540 


TABtE  OF  DISTANCES  FROM  TY-A,  HEAD  OF  STEAMBOAT  NAVIGATION, 

TO  FT.  CUDAHY. 


Miles. 


Ty-a  to  head  of  Canoe  Navigation 6 

Head  of  Canoe  Navigation  to  Summit  Chilkoot  Pass 9 

Summit  to  head  of  Lake  Linderman 8>^ 

Head  Lake  Linderraan  to  foot 6 

River  or  Portage  to  head  of  Lake  Bennett . i 

Head  of  Lake  Bennett  to  foot 24 

Through  Cariboo  Crossing  to  head  of  Tagish  Lake 2 

Head  of  Tagish  Lake  to  foot 19 

Through  River  to  head  of  Lake  Marsh 6 

Head  of  Lake  Marsh  to  foot .  19 

Foot  of  Lake  Marsh  to  Canyon -.  25 

Through  Canyon }( 

F.oot  of  Canyon  to  White  Horse  Rapids :.— . 2 

Through  White Horfee  Rapids —  ..^ ^.—J >^ 

Fpot  of,  Whiteiiorse  Rapids  to  Talikeena..  River -  16 

Tahkeena  River  to  head  of  Lake  Le  Barge 14 

Head  of  Lake  Le  Barge  to  foot 31 

Foot  of  Lake  Le  Barge  to  Hootalinqua  River 30 

Hootalinqua  River  to  Big  Salmon  River 34 

Big  Salmon  River  to  Little  Salmon  River 37 

Little  Salmon  River  to  Five  Fingers 62 

Five  Fingers  to  Rink  Rapids 6)4 

Rink  Rapids  to  Pelly  River 55 

Pelly  River  to  White  River 97 

White  River  to  Stewart  River 9 

Stewart  River  to  Sixty  Mile  River 21 

Sixty  Mile  River  to  Fort  Reliance 53 

Fort  Reliance  to  Forty  Mile 48 

Forty  Mile  to  Ft.  Cudahy ^ 

Ty-a  to  Ft  Cudahy ^ .  643 


9^  p  .    ^^  vJC  .    diU-C^  .   ->-  <r-  Y^       O^ 


fi 


An  Alaska  Indian  Girl. 


ALASKA 


ITS  HISTORY  AND  RESOURCES 


GOLD  FIELDS 


ROUTES  AND  SCENERY 


BY 


MINER  W.  BRUCK 


0 


II.  r,  USTRATKI) 


V 


ITUMSIIKI)    HY 

LOWMAX  &  HANFORD   STATIONERY  AND  TRINTING  CO. 

,     SEATTLE,  WASHINGTOV 
1895 


^ 


■PPIH^ 


COPYKKillTKI)    lHi)5, 
HY 
I.OWMAN    M:    llAXIOKIJ   SlA TIONKKV    AND    I'UIXIINC,    CO. 

Sr.ATTLK,  Wash  INC. TON. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

Z\  lyTHOUGH  the  author  cannot  undertake  within  the  limits  of 
■*  this  vohime  to  deal,  in  an  elaborate  way,  with  the  vast  and 
varied  resources  of  Alaska,  he  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  nu.tter 
contained  in  its  pages  is  such  as  will  give  the  reader  an  intelli- 
gent idea  of  this  great  territory,  its  past  and  present,  and  the 
outlook  for  its  future.  The  contents  will  be  found  reliable,  and 
the  information  touching  the  leading  industries  of  the  country 
and  its  resources,  including  the  great  Yukon  gold  fields,  which 
are  now  commanding  attention,  has  been  prepared  with  care,  and 
with  the  view  of  ensuring  the  greatest  possible  accuracy.  A 
more  complete  reference  to  the  Eskimos  of  Arctic  Alaska  and 
the  introduction  of  domesticated  reindeer  among  them  can  be 
found  in  his  report  to  the  Bureau  of  I\ducation  at  Washington, 
and  his  monograph  in  the  census  report  of  1890,  will  furnish 
further  information  than  is  here  given  upon  the  southeastern 
portion  of  Alaska,  l)oth  of  which  may  be  had  free  ujion  applica- 
tion to  the  respective  departments. 

Six  years  spent  in  Alaska,  finst  in  the  interest  of  journalism, 
and  later  in  other  pursuits,  have  enabled  him  to  present  an  accu- 
rate and  truthful  account  of  his  observations  concerning  the  de- 
velopments of  the  past  few  years. 

The  field  is  large,  and  already  the  dawning  of  great  enterprises 
fiUs  the  minds  of  ambitious  projectors.  Gold  fields  are  to  be 
opened  up,  railways  built,  possibly  with  a  .span  of  communication 
with  the  Old  World,  besides  many  other  projects  which  will  cause 
the  active  American  brain  to  vibrate  with  new  vigor.  And  if  the 
writer  can  awaken  any  patriotic  sentiment  to  further  and  protect 
the  interests  of  this  grand  territory,  he  will  be  .satisfied. 

He  cannot  consistently  advise  those  seeking  a  place  to  make  a 
home,  or  those  looking  for  a  new  field  of  labor,  to  choose  Alaska, 
unless  they  have  some  means,  and  a  reasonable  amount  of  stamina, 
and  good  health.  To  any  one  possessed  of  these  qualifications, 
he  unhesitatingly  and  unqualifiedly  says  "Go." 

He  is  in  earnest  when  he  says  that  he  believes  the  next  few 
years  will  present  many  opportunities  for  investment,  and  for 
laying  a  foundation  for  lucrative  business  enterpri.ses,  and,  per- 
haps, wealth.  But  if  any  one  expects  to  acquire  these  without 
experiencing  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer 
life,  he  will  be  disappointed.  Miner  W.  Bruck. 


Pacific  N.W.HiStor-^-^t. 

PR© V I  N  C !  A L   L.  1 .3  R  A  .^ Y 
VICTO«IA,  B.  G. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORY. 

Alaska.— Discovered  by  Vitus  Bering,  ;i  Dane,  in  1728— Mt.  St.  Ktias  — 
Search  of  the  vSpanianis,— CajH.  Cook —Vancouver.— I'urcha.se  of 
Ahiska  in  1867.— Origin  of  Name  —  Its  Geographical  Extent— The 
Organic  Act.—  A  Prohii)ition  Country  —  PIfforts  to  Secure  Congressional 
Action. 

CHAPTER  II. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

Topography  of  Alaska.— Verdant  Islands.  — Two  Great  Natural  Divi-sions — 
Numerous  Eiords.— Great  Rivers.— Immense  Valleys.— I.akes  and 
Tundra— Mountain  Peaks  and  Volcanoes.— Cape  Prince  of  Wales  — 
Diomede  Islxnds.  — Shallow  Water  at  Bering  Strait.  -  Railroad  Across 
the  .Strait. 

CHAPTER    .II. 

CI<IMATK  —  AGRicnr/rrRic  —  ii.ora. 

Influence  of  Japan  Current.— Precipitation  in  the  Coast  Country.—  .\verage 
Rainfall.  — Healthfulness  of  Alaskan  Climate.— Dense  Vegetation.- 
Cultivation  of  Root  Crops.— Cereals  and  Gra.sses  —Interior  as  a  Stock 
Raising  Country.— Vegetable  Life  Rapid  in  the  Ear  North.— Harvest 
Clo.sely  Follows  .S°ed  Time  —  Experimental  Agricultural  Stations. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

MINK.RAr<    AND  TIMBKK. 

First  Discovery  of  Gold  in  Southeast  Alaska.  — The  (Vreat  Treadwell  Mine. 
—  Progress  of  Mining.— Rich  Deposits  of  Silver  and  Galena  Ore.— 
Where  Free  Milling  Ore  is  Found.— Rus.sian  Placer  Mining  in  Early 
Days  —A  Promising  Mining  Section— The  Yellow  Cedar.— Spruce  and 
Hemlock  Abundant.— Timber  of  the  Interior.  — Where  Bituminous  Coal 
is  Found. 

CHAPTER  V. 

l-r.SHKRIH.S. 


Immense  Salmon  Canning  Industry- 
Fish  Found  in  Alaskan  Waters. 


aiore  than  One  Hundred  Varieties  of 
Capacity  of  Canneries.— A  Cannery 
Trust.— Salmon  .Streams  Usually  .Small. —  The  "River  of  Life"  at 
Karluk. —  Development  of  Alaska  Retarded  —  Cod  and  Halibut  Fii.li- 
ing.— Immen.se  .Schools  of  Herring.— The  Oolikon  or  Candle  Fish  — 
The  Beluga.  — The  Whale  In  l-stry. 


CONTKNTS. 
CHAl'TrvR  VI. 

KOUTK   To    tun   YUKON    RIVUK. 

Ty-a,  the  Head  of  Steamboat  Navij^atioii. —  Necessary  Supplies  for  the  Trip. 

—  Natives  and  Miners  Pack  Supplies  —  Reduced  Cost  of  I.iviiin  in  the 
Interior. —  Manner  of  Traveliiij;. —  Headwaters  of  the  Yukon.  —  Cariboo 
Cro.ssing  —  Lakes  Lindernian,  Hennett,  Marsh  and  ha  Harjj;e  — Route  to 
be  I'oUowed.  —  Canyon.  —  White  Horse —l-'ive  Finders. — Trx'^-jj  Posts 
at  Forty  Mile  and  I'ort  Cndaliy, —  The  Yukon  I'lats. —  Navi^jati  ji  of  the 
Yukon. 

CHAPTKR  VII. 

THK   YUKON   OOI.I)    rilCJ.DS. 

Gold  First  P' '■'■>' ered  on  the  Yukon.  —  Three  Divisions  of  the  Intfiiur. — 
Recent  Discoveries. —  Forty  Mile  Creek.-  -  Birch  Creek.  —  Climate  of  the 
ni'erior. —  L,onj.;  Winter  Vigil. —  Larj^e.st  Nu).;tret  Kver  Found  in  Alaska. 

—  Placer  Mininjf  in  Winter.— Oold  (quartz.  Deposits,-  Vici.ssitudc's  of 
the  Miners'  Life. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

LAND   .\Nn  .SK.\    AN  I. MA  US. 

Fur  Seal  Industry. — Seal  Rookery. —  Hunting  the  Sea  Otter. —  Hrown  .".nd 
Black  Rear. —  A  Thlinkit  Legend. —  Home  of  the  Beaver. —  The  Black, 
Red,  White  and  Blue  Foxes.  —  The  Polar  Bear. —  Deer,  Moose  and  Other 
Animals.  Eagles  and  Hununing  Birds.  —  The  I'eathery  Tribe— Vast 
Resources  of  Alaska. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

THK  TOURI.ST   ROl'TK. 

From  Seattle  to  Sitka. — The  Season  for  Tourists. —  Seattle.  —  Tacoma, — 
Port  Townsend. —  Victoria  — Nanaimo. —  Seymour  Narrow.s — Chatham 
Sound. —  Fir.st  Glimpse  of  Alaska. — New  Metlakahtla. — Fort  Wrangel. — 
Wrangel  Narrows. — Taku  Inlet. — Juneau — Treadwell  Mine. —  Lynn 
Canal. —  Glacier  Bay. — The  Silent  City. —  (irandeur  of  Fairwe.'itlier 
Range. —  Peril  Strait. —  Sitka. —  Mt.  Edgecombe. —  The  Far  Beyond. 

CHAPTER  X. 

AI.A.SKA    INDIAN.S. 

Their  Origin. —  Quass.  —  The  Totem  Pole  and  It.-  Significance.  — Witchcraft, 

—  Exorcising  Evil  Spirits. —  Cremation  Stili  Practiced.  —  Shamans  or 
Doctors. —  Expert  in  Carving  and  Engraving.  —  The  Chilkat  Blanket. — 
Atoning  for  Murder. —  Blackening  Faces. —  Houses  of  Natives. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

ESKIMO   HAIUT.S   AND  CUSTOM.S. 

An  Eskimo  Dwelling — An  Industrious  and  Patient  People. —  Primitive 
Manner  of  ]',Iaking  Fire.  —Slaves  to  Tobacco.  —  The  Oomiak  and  Kyak, 
—  Eskimo    Rain-Coat. —  Tattooing  by   Women. — Wearing    Labrets  by 


^ 


CONTENTS. 

Men. —  Polygatiij-. —  Athletic  Sport?.— Dancing  Principal  Amusement. 
—  Zaksriner,  the  Contortionist. — The  Eskimo  Dog. 

CHAPTER  XII.  ^ 

RKINDKKR. 

Importation  of  Reindeer.  —  Starving  E.skimos  and  Cause  for  Same. —  Dr. 
Sheldon  Jackson  Interests  Government. —  Arctic  Alaska  a  Natural 
Feeding  (Ground  for  Reindeer. —  A  Boon  to  the  Eskimo.  —  Habits  and 
Characteristics  of  the  Reindeer. —  Manner  of  Driving. —  Reindeer  Sledge 
and  Harness. —  Reindeer  Good  Travelers. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

ailS.SIONS   .\M)   SCHOOLS. 

Hussian  Missionaries  Sent  to  Alaska  in  1793. —  A  Strange  .\dmixture. —  Lit- 
tle Progress  Made. —  Indian  Attendance  at  School  Not  P^ncouraged. — 
Long  Neglect  of  Congress  to  Provide  Civil  Government. —  Dr.  Sheldon 
Jackson  in  Charge  of  Educational  Affairs. —  Public  School  System 
Established. —  Indian  Industrial  Training  Schools. —  Devotion  of  Mis- 
sionaries and  Teachers. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THK    BOUNDARY    DISI'fTIC. 

Claim  Made  by  the  British  Government.  —  The  Treaty  Between  Russia  and 
England. —  Line  of  Demarkation  Clearly  Established.  —  Absurdity  of 
the  British  Claim. —  The  Ten  Marine  League  Limit. —  Portland  Canal  as 
the  Eastern  Limit.— Language  of  the  Treaty. —  Why  Great  Britain 
Wants  this  Strip  of  Territory. —  An  Outlet  to  the  Great  Interior. — Con- 
gress Cannot  Afford  to  Stultify  Itself. 


ERRATA. 

Page  17,  third  line  —  Convention  should  read  committee. 

Page  18,  tenth  line — 1891-92  should  read  1889-90. 

Page  18,  sixteenth  lii'C--  1S91  should  read  1890. 

Page  35,  seventeenth  line  — Kakutat  should  read  Vakutat. 

Page  115 — Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson  first  went  to  Alaska  in  1877. 


\museraent. 


Saint'.—  Dr. 
1  a  Natural 
-  Habits  and 
lul^er  Sledge 


ixture. —  Lit- 
ncouraged. — 
-Dr.  Sheldon 
hool  System 
Dtion  of  Mis- 


n  Russia  and 
Absurdity  of 
land  Canal  as 
5reat  Britain 
iterior. —  Con- 


tat. 
1877- 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


An  Alaska  Indiax  Girl, 


Frontispiece. 


OPPOSITE 
PACE. 


Karli-k  vSand  Spit  and  "River  of  Life " 
Yukon  Miners  at  Sheep  Camp,        _        _        -        - 
Yukon  Miners  Sledding  Over  Route,        -        -        - 
Yukon  Miners  Packing  Over  Route,      -        -        - 
Yukon  Miners  and  Natives  Packing  Over  Route,     - 
Yukon  Miners  at  Stone  Hou.se,       _         -         -         - 
Yukon  Miners  and  Natives  at  Summit  op  Chilkoot 
PA.SS,       -  -  -  -  -- 

The  Canyon,  Yukon  River,     -        -        -        - 

Fur  Seal  Rookery,  St.  Paul  Island, 

Killing  Fur  Seal,  St.  Paul  Island, 

Juneau,        -        -        _-- 

Grenville  Channel  on  Tourist  Route, 

The  Great  Treadwell  Mill,      -        -        -        -        - 

The  Treadwell  Ledge,  _        -        _        -        - 

Sitka,  AT  [0:30  p.  M.,  -        -        _        _        - 

Front  OF  MuiR  Glacier,  -        - 

Crevasse  on  Top  ok  Muir  Glacier,     -        - 
The  Silent  CiTv,     _        -        -        -        - 

Sitka  Harbor,     -----        -        -        - 

Greek  Church  at  Sitka,  Exterior  View, 
Greek  Church  at  Sitka,  Interior  View, 
Southeastern  Alaska  Indians  and  C.\noes, 


40 

44 

48 

50 

52 
54 

56 

60 

64 

66 

72 

76 

78 

80 

83 

84 

86 

88 

92 

94 

98 

100 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  -  ContinuBD. 

OPPOSITE 
PAGE. 

Hon.  Warren  Truitt,         _        _        _        _        _        _  102 

ZaKSRINER,        _-------  103 

Eskimo    Boy,    Eskimo    Hut,   Eskimo    Girls,    Eskimo 

Family,  Eskimo  Spearing  Walrus,     -        -        -  104 

Herd  of  Reindeer  Lying  Down,     _        -        -        -  108 

King's  Island,  North  Bering  Sea,     _        _        _        _  112 

Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson,      -         _         -         _         -         _  115 

Harrison  R,  Thornton,       -        -        _        -        -        _  118 

Hon.  Charles  D.  Rogers,        -        -        -        -        -  121 
New  Metlakahtla,     _        _        _        _        _        __i28 

LIST  OF  PEN   SKETCHES. 

Totem  Pole,        .        _        _        .        _        _        _        _  9 

Russian  Block  Hoitse  at  Sitka,           _        _        _        _  11 

Indian  Canoes,    ________  39 

Eskimo  Canoe,          _______  44 

Miners  Hauling  Sleds,       ______  53 

A  Yukon  Nugget,        _______  60 

Eskimo  with  Dogs,           ______  62 

Seal,        ________        ^  63 

Seal  in  Water,  _        _        _        _        _        _        __66 

Baranoff  Castle,    --_____  93 

Indian  Woman,    -         _        »        _        _         _         _         -  95 

Indian  Doctor,        _        -        _        _        .        _        „  99 

Reindeer  Team,      _______  113 

Map  of  Alaska,  Showing  Routes,  Disputed  Boundary. 


i\ 


\. 


OPPOSITE 
PAGE. 

I02 
O 

108 

112 

115 
-    118 

121 

-  128 

9 
II 

-  39 
44 

-  53 

-  60 
62 

63 

66 

93 

-  95 
99 

"3 


/\I/\SKA. 


A' 


CHAPTER  I. 

HISTORY. 

LASKA  is  the  name  of  all  that  portion  of 
the  northwest  extremity  of  this  continent, 
which,    until  1867,   was   known    as   Russian 
America 

It  is  only  a  matter  of  conjecture  how 
long  this  region  would  have  remained  a  terra 
incognita  had  not  the  Imperial  government 
at  St.  Petersburg  sent  Vitus  Bering,  a  Dane 
by  birth,  on  a  voyage  of  discovery.  The 
year  1728  saw  him  in  command  of  an  expe- 
dition whose  object  was  to  find,  if  possible, 
new  lands,  and  whose  course  led  through  the 
waters  east  of  Siberia  until  he  arrived  in  the 
great  closed  sea  that  now  bears  his  name. 

The  object  of  this  expedition  does  not  ap- 
pear in  any  degree  to  have  been  a  desire  to 
contribute  to  the  cause  of  science;  but  the 
prime  motives  were  aggrandizement  and  to 
extend  the  limits  of  trade. 

During  this  voyage  Bering  discovered  that 
the  two  continents  were  separated  by  only  a 
narrow  stretch  of  water  at  the  point  now 
known  as  Bering  strait,  and  that  the  coast  of 
the  one  was  plainly  visible  from  the  shores  of 
the  other.  The  year  following,  this  intrepid 
navigator  endeavored  to  find  a  coast  Hue  across 
the  waters  to  the  eastward,  but  failed  in  hi.--  attempt. 

Immediately  following  this  cruise,  and  for  many  years  after, 
there  were  rife  rumors,  which  seemed  to  gather  impetus  with 
each  recurring  year,  aided,  doubtless,  by  Bering's  own  record  of 
his  voyages,  that  a  rich  country  lay  in  the  "Far  Beyond,"  and  so 
the  Russian  government  was  stimulated  to  persist  in  its  efforts 


ToTKM  ror<E. 


-T 


i\ 


'I 


lo 


ALASKA. 


In  1 74 1  Bering  again  set  sail  with  two  vessels.  Severe  weather 
and  heavy  fogs  caused  them  to  drift  apart;  one  of  them  attempted 
a  landing  at  Cook  inlet,  but  the  Indians  attacked  and  killed  a 
number  of  the  party,  and  caused  the  remainder  to  put  to  sea  and 
make  their  waj'  homeward  as  fast  as  possible. 

Bering,  however,  sailed  farther  eastward,  and  sighted  an  island 
near  Cape  St.  Elias  now  known  as  Kayak  island.  There  appears 
to  hive  been  no  extended  exploration  at  that  time;  for,  ere  long, 
we  are  told,  Bering  also  turned  the  course  of  his  vessel  westward, 
and,  being  beset  by  violent  storms,  was  stranded  east  of  the  CUilf  of 
Kamtchatka,  upon  the  island  which  now  bears  his  name;  and  there 
shoitly  after,  being  overtaken  by  disease,  he  died  and  was  buried. 

To  this  fearless  explorer  belongs  the  honor  of  discovering  and 
naming  Mt.  St.  Elias,  which,  towering  18,000  feet  heavenward, 
stands  a  weird  and  grandly  beautiful  monument  to  his  memory. 
This  snowy  shaft  marks  the  southern  point  of  the  boundary  line 
separating  Southeast  Alaska  from  the  great  region,  extending 
many  hundred  miles  northward  to  the  frozen  ocean,  known  as 
Western  Alaska;  an  august  sentinel,  clad  in  robes  of  white,  there 
it  stands,  forever  keeping  a  silent  vigil  over  the  waters  of  the 
mighty  Pacific. 

The  Spaniards,  in  the  prosecution  of  their  search  for  the  sup- 
posed passage  to  India,  which  was  the  great  objective  point  of 
their  early  navigators,  were  gradually  extending  their  explora- 
tions northward  from  the  South  American  and  Mexican  coasts. 
In  1592  Juan  de  Fuca  reached  as  far  north  as  the  strait  that  now 
bears  his  name,  and  in  1775  we  find  that  Spanish  explorers  had 
reached  Sitka. 

The  Russians,  in  the  meantime,  had  arrived  at  I'nalaska. 

Nor  had  the  English  forgotten  to  send  representatives  to  this 
new  field  of  exploration.  Captain  Cook,  one  of  the  most  daring 
navigators  of  his  time,  justly  shares  with  Bering,  who  preceded 
him,  as  does  also  his  young  lieutenant,  Vancouver,  who  followed 
him,  the  glory  and  honor  of  navigating  the  waters  of  Bering  sea 
and  the  North  Pacific.  It  was  on  his  return  voyage  that  Cook 
was  treacherously  killed,  and,  it  is  believed,  cooked  and  eaten, 
by  the  natives  on  one  of  the  Sandwich  islands. 

The  uncompleted  work  of  Captain  Cook  fell  upon  the  shoul- 
ders of  a  worthy  successor,  and  the  surveys  which  \'ancouver 
commenced  about  1792  covered  his  name  with  glory.  The  re- 
markable care  and  ability  with  which  he  executed  the  work  begun 


vere  weather 
m\  attempted 
and  killed  a 
lit  to  sea  and 

ted  an  island 

here  appears 

"or,  ere  long, 

el  westward, 

)f"  the  Gulf  of 

le;  and  there 

was  buried. 

covering  and 

heavenward, 

his  memory. 

oundary  line 

n,  extending 

m,  known  as 

f  white,  there 

A'aters  of  the 

1  for  the  sup- 
:tive  point  of 
lieir  explora- 
xican  coasts, 
rait  that  now 
xplorers  had 

nalaska. 
atives  to  this 
most  daring 
A\o  preceded 
vho  followed 
f  Bering  sea 
:e  that  Cook 
1  and  eaten, 

n  the  shoul- 
1  \'ancouver 
ry.     The  re- 
work begun 


HISTORY 


ir 


by  his  old  commander  are,  even  in  this  day  of  improved  facilities 
of  maritime  science,  held  in  honor;  for  his  charts  are  closely  fol- 
lowed, and  in  the  main  found  reliable. 

From  the  time  of  the  planting  of  the  Czar's  flag  upon  the  soil 
of  this  great  unknown  country  its  honor  was  sullied  by  acts  of 
oppression  and  cruelty.  The  Russian- American  Fur  Company 
had  securely  planted  its  trading  posts  throughout  the  new  terri- 
tory, but  its  rule  was  characterized  by  the  most  barbarous  con- 
duct, and  it  became  so  notorious  that  at  the  expiration  of  its  char- 
ter in  1862  the  government  was  forced  to  deny  further  franchise. 

Three  years  later,  in  1865,  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Com- 
pany proposed  to  construct  a  line  from  San  Francisco  northward 
through  the  Pacific  States  and  Territories  to  connect  with  the 
Russian  line  at  its  then  terminus,  Ainoor,  Siberia.  Many  miles 
of  line  were  built,  but  the  route  failed  of  completion  because  of 
the  successful  laying  of  the  Atlantic  cable,  and  after  an  expendi- 
ture of  over  $3,000,000  the  enterprise  was  abandoned. 

The  path  of  the  propo.sed  route  can  yet  be  traced  for  many  miles 
in  the  northwest 
territory  by  the 
poles  that  are 
standing  with 
wires  stretched 
between  them. 
The  outpost  of 
the  party  en- 
gaged in  its  con- 
i  ':tion  reach- 
ed a  point  and 
made  its  winter 
quarters  within 
sixty  miles  of 
the  extreme 
western  limit  of 
the  continent, 
and  the  remains 
of  two  members 
of  the  party  lie 

buried  in  graves  ri-ssian  hi.ock  hoisjs  at 

dug  in  the  icy  shore,  two  miles  east  of  the  United  States  reindeer 
station  at  Port  Clarence,  Alaska. 


,-»< 


1 


\ 


la 


ALASKA. 


The  United  States  purchased  Alaska  from  Russia  in  1867, 
paying  the  sum  of  $7,200,000  for  the  same.  At  the  time  of  the 
purchase  this  was  generally  looked  upon  as  an  extravagant  ex- 
penditure; but  ridicule  at  the  action  of  Secretary  Seward  in  this 
transaction  has  been  changed  to  a  sentiment  that  credits  him 
with  .shrewd  diplomacy  in  thus  securing  this  great  territory. 

Conjecture  is  never  idle  and  various  reasons  have  been 
assigned  why  Russia  disposed  of  her  vast  possessions  on  this 
continent. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  United  States  commenced  the  nego- 
tiation to  remunerate  Russia,  under  the  guise  of  purchase,  for 
her  friendly  attitude  toward  us  during  the  civil  war.  Many 
also  believe  that  Russia  sought  to  di.spose  of  this  territory  to  the 
United  States  that  England  might  not,  in  some  way,  absorb  it, 
and  so  strengthen  her  already  powerful  hold  on  this  continent. 
The  most  reasonable  solution  of  the  question  however,  is,  that 
she  wished  to  be  relieved  of  the  care  and  protection  which  her 
subjects  so  constantly  required  of  her  in  maintaining  the  sem- 
blance of  a  government  on  this  continent,  and  so  far  removed 
from  her  own  shores.  This  view  is  also  strengthened  by  the 
fact  that  Russia  at  no  time  from  the  earliest  acquisition  of  the 
territory  manifested  any  special  interest  in  its  development,  and 
that  the  motives  that  actuated  her  in  holding  her  possessions 
were  largely  influenced  by  the  Russian-American  Fur  Company. 

While  the  name  "Alaska"  has  been  a  synonym  for  a  bleak, 
inhospitable  waste  of  ice  and  snow,  its  literal  interpretation 
will  permit  of  no  such  construction.  The  aboriginal  word  is 
"Al-ak-shak,"  and  means  a  great  country. 

Covering  a  country  eight  hundred  miles  north  and  south  by 
about  seven  hundred  east  and  west,  containing  six  hundred 
thousand  square  miles,  or  an  area  equal  to  one-fourth  of  all  the 
rest  of  the  United  States,  it  seems  an  empire  in  itself,  and  to  have 
received  a  most  appropriate  name. 

It  was  Charles  Sumner,  who,  at  the  time  of  the  purchase, 
suggested  the  name  "Alaska,"  and  it  was  as  a  compliment  in 
return  for  his  warm  advocacy  of  the  purchase  that  Secretary 
Seward  sanctioned  the  suggestion. 

In  1890  the  lease  of  the  fur  seal  islands  to  the  Alaska  Coni- 
mercial  Company  expired,  and  at  that  time  Alaska  may  be  said 
to  have  emerged  from  a  mantle  of  gloom  and  desolation.  By 
this,  we  mean,  that  the  great  barrier  in  the  way  of  its  develop- 


i\ 


HISTORY. 


'3 


a  in  1867, 
time  of  the 
vagant  ex- 
'ard  in  this 
rredits  him 
ritory. 
have  been 
)ns  on  this 

i  the  nego- 
irchase,  for 

ar.  Many 
itory  to  the 

,  absorb  it, 
)  continent, 
^er,  is,  that 

which  her 
g  the  sem- 
ir  removed 
led  by  the 
tion  of  the 
pment,  and 
possessions 
■  Company, 
or  a  bleak, 
erpretation 
lal  word  is 

d  soutli  by 
s:  hundred 
1  of  all  the 
md  to  have 

purcliase, 

pliment  in 

Secretary 

aska  Coni- 
lay  be  said 
a  tion.  By 
ts  develop- 


ment was  removed  when  this  industry  pas.'^ed  into  other  hands. 

The  day  that  marked  the  lowering  of  the  Russian  flag  at 
Sitka  and  the  hoisting  of  the  stars  and  stripes  realized  the  con- 
ception of  a  plan  between  a  few  .shrewd  men  who  saw  in  the  fur 
seal  industry  a  great  opportunity  to  make  money.  For  many 
years,  under  the  Russian  regime,  these  islands  had  been  made  to 
yield  a  large  revenue  to  those  who  controlled  the  business,  but 
it  remained  for  the  men  who  formed  this  new  combination  to 
make  it  one  of  the  richest  private  enterprises  that  ever  thrived 
under  this  or  any  other  government. 

Quietly  and  before  the  vastne.ss  of  the  undertaking  became 
known  it  had  pas.sed  into  the  hands  of  men  who  knew  how  to 
manipulate  it,  and  for  a  period  of  twenty  year«  millions  of  dollars 
were  made  and  many  men  became  millionaires.  Nor  did  the 
avarice  of  the  combination  stop  here.  Trading  posts  were  estab- 
lished all  along  the  southern  coast,  and  within  a  short  time  upon 
the  banks  of  every  stream  of  any  importance  that  pours  its  waters 
into  Bering  sea  a  trading  post  was  stationed,  and  a  sharp,  shrewd 
frontiersman,  in  the  employ  of  this  company,  was  there  to  trade 
his  wares  to  the  natives  in  exchange  for  furs. 

It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  a  combination  which  had  the 
foresight  and  tact  to  secure  from  a  great  government  the  monopoly 
of  so  rich  a  franchise  would  also  be  able  to  absolutely  control  all 
the  territory  it  sought  to  encompass  from  the  encroachments  of 
competition.  During  the  entire  time  that  the  company  held 
possession  of  this  lease  it  took  care  that  the  impressions  should 
prevail  that  Alaska  was  good  for  naught  save  the  production  of 
fur-bearing  animals.  In  doing  this  it  used  the  strategy  which 
other  business  corporations  would  be  likely  to  use  to  protect 
their  own  interests.  t 

But  the  eyes  of  an  adventurous  world  are  never  long  blinded, 
and  during  the  last  years  in  which  they  controlled  this  lease  the 
company  were  charged  with  every  conceivable  crime,  and  were 
constantly  obliged  to  defend  themselves  against  charges  of  mis- 
treatment of  natives.  Investigation,  however,  always  exonerated 
them,  and  showed  that  the  complaints  were  the  outgrowth  of 
petty  malice  on  the  part  of  discharged  employes  or  of  jealousy 
among  rival  fur  (.'.'alers  who  were  not  in  the  combination. 

By  the  terms  of  the  lease  it  was  liable  at  any  moment  to  be 
annulled  for  neglect  or  mistreatment  of  natives,  and  this  would 
"  destroy  the  goose  that  laid  the  golden  egg."     Knowledge  of 


14 


ALASKA. 


the  business  methods  of  these  men  will  effectually  dispel  any 
suspicion  that  they  would,  by  word  or  deed,  commit  an  offense 
that  would  destroy  the  source  of  so  vast  a  revenue. 

But  there  came  a  time,  when  the  grip  that  this  company  held 
upon  Alaska  must  be  relaxed,  and  the  spring  of  1890  saw  the 
lease  of  the  fur  seal  islands  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  North 
American  Commercial  Company. 

The  whole  southern  coast  was  invaded  by  the  new  combina- 
tion, which  established  trading  posts  at  every  point  that  promised 
business  with  the  natives.  With  the  advent  of  the  new  company, 
a  monthly  mail  route,  tor  seven  months  of  the  year,  was  opened 
from  Sitka  to  Bering's  sea,  and  postoffices  were  established  at 
different  points,  thus  affording  an  opportunity  to  reach  sections 
of  the  country  that  theretofore  had  been  practically  unknown. 

While  the  extension  of  the  mail  service  has  not  yet  resulted 
in  the  building  up  of  any  considerable  towns  or  villages,  the 
efiFecf  has  been  to  open  communication  between  the  southern 
coast  of  Alaska  and  the  outside  world. 

The  census  of  1890  gave  the  white  population  at  4,300,  but 
during  the  last  four  years  these  numbers  have  been  largely  aug- 
mented, and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  white  population  has  been 
more  than  doubled.  Since  that  date,  also,  the  mining  interests 
of  the  territory  have  largely  increa.sed,  especially  in  the  interior, 
and  with  the  discovery  of  gold  in  the  Yukon  region,  the  country 
has  grown  with  great  rapidity. 

The  government  of  Alaska,  covering  the  period  from  its 
acquisition  to  the  year  1884,  was  more  of  a  military  fonn  than 
otherwise.  The  onlj'  officers  stationed  in  the  territory  were 
those  belonging  to  the  customs  service.  It  was  their  duty  to 
see  that  any  infringement  of  the  laf\s,  as  for  instance,  smuggling 
liquor  into  the  territorj',  or  selling  the  same  to  Indians  or  white 
men,  were  corrected  ;  and,  if  necessan',  they  invoked  the  aid  of 
the  military  or  naval  force. 

About  the  year  1 880,  the  white  residents  of  Southeast  Alaska 
began  to  discuss  the  feasibility  of  .securing  some  sort  of  civil 
government  for  the  territory.  And  in  the  summer  of  1881,  a 
convention  was  held  at  Juneau,  which  resulted  in  the  selection  of 
Mottrom  D.  Ball  as  a  delegate  to  Congress.  The  following  winter 
he  appeared  in  Washington,  presented  his  credentials,  and  asked 
to  be  recognized  as  a  delegate  from  the  territory  of  Alaska. 
Further   than  to  attract  some  attention  to  the  condition  of  its 


\ 


HISTORY. 


'5 


dispel  any 
an  offense 

npany  held 
)o  saw  the 
the  North 

\'  conibina- 
it  promised 

company, 
vas  opened 

blished  at 
ch  sections 
nknown. 
'et  resulted 
illages,  the 
:  southern 

4.300,  but 
irgely  aug- 
n  has  been 
g  interests 
le  interior, 
he  country 

1  from  its 
fonn  than 
itory  were 
;ir  duty  to 
smuggling 
s  or  white 
the  aid  of 

>st  Alaska 
rt  of  civil 
3f  1881,  a 
;lection  of 
ing  winter 
ind  asked 
f  Alaska, 
ion  of  its 


1 


affairs,  Mr.  Ball's  visit  to  Washington  was  of  no  great  value,  for 
he  was  not  permitted  to  take  his  seat.  Still  the  wedge  had  been 
applied  to  the  encasement  of  the  difficulties  that  encompassed 
Alaska,  and  the  light  of  intelligent  investigation  was  dawning 
on  her  horizon.  During  the  next  ses.sion  of  Congress,  various 
bills  were  introduced  looking  to  the  passage  of  laws  that  would 
give  to  Alaska  some  semblance  of  a  civil  government. 

In  1883,  Senator  Benjamin  Harrison  introduced  a  bill,  which 
became  a  law  in  the  following  summer.  It  is  called  ' '  The  Organic 
Act  of  Ala.ska,"  and  provides  for  the  appointment  of  a  governor, 
district  judge,  clerk  of  the  court,  marshal,  collector,  and  four 
United  States  commissioners,  one  of  whom  is  to  reside  in  each  of 
the  principal  towns  of  the  territory,  the  other  officers  to  reside 
at  Sitka,  which,  by  this  act,  was  made  the  temporary  capital  ; 
and  all  these  officers  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  President. 
This  act,  though  very  defective,  when  viewed  by  the  light  of  the 
past  ten  years,  was  still  a  step  in  the  direction  of  a  civil  govern- 
ment. 

Ala.ska  is  es.sentially  a  prohibition  country.  It  prohibits  the 
cutting  of  timber,  and  the  exporting  of  the  same  out  of  the  ter- 
ritory' ;  it  prohibits  the  killing  of  fur  seal,  except  under  certain 
restrictions,  which  give  to  a  company  the  e.cclusive  control  of 
the  same ;  it  prohibits  the  importation,  sale,  cr  manufacture  of 
whisky  in  the  territory,  though  it  can  be  had  in  almo.st  any  vil- 
lage or  hamlet  within  its  borders ;  and  notwithstanding  this 
absolute  prohibition,  the  government  has  seen  fit  to  collect  an 
internal  revenue  tax  from  all  persons  having  it  for  sale.  The 
Governor  is  permitted  to  use  his  discretion  as  to  whom  he  will 
grant  a  license ;  it  must,  however,  be  to  a  druggist  who  will 
sell  the  same  purely  for  medical,  mechanical  and  scientific  pur- 
poses. 

The  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  government  to  restrain  this 
traffic  in  Alaska  has  proven  a  farce,  because  of  the  wholly  inade- 
quate means  at  the  disposal  of  the  officers,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
execute  the  laws. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  of  Russian  America  down  through 
the  years  since  the  purchase  by  the  United  States,  the  liquor 
question  has  overshadowed  every  other,  and  the  sturdy  miners 
and  those  following  other  pursuits,  and  especially  the  missionary 
people  have  been  in  constant  anxiety  as  to  the  effect  unexecuted 
liquor  laws  would  have  upon  the  native  population.     While  they 


i6 


ALASKA. 


are  practically  a  dead  letter,  yet  there  has  been  gi.ater  security 
felt  since  the  appointment  of  the  present  incumbent  as  district 
judge,  who  seems  to  be  able  to  grapple  with  the  evil,  and  confine 
it  within  the  least  possible  unwholesome  limits. 

The  visit  to  Alaska  of  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 
Hamlin,  last  year,  was  followed  this  spring  by  the  appearance  in 
the  waters  of  Southeast  Alaska  of  an  additional  revenue  cutter  for 
the  pnrnose  of  suppressing  the  smuggling  of  whisky  from  British 
Columbia,  and  although  she  patroled  the  waters  diligently  for  sev- 
eral weeks,  ahd  sent  officers  ashore  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting 
cargoes  of  liquor  known  to  have  been  shipped  into  the  territory  by 
small  sloops,  the  vigilance  of  the  search  was  rewarded  by  the  cap- 
ture of  but  a  few  hundred  gallons,  and  the  cutter  finally  aban- 
doned the  effort  and  returned  to  Puget  Sound. 

The  nature  of  the  country  is  such  that  its  many  intricate  and 
winding  channels  afford  most  favorable  opportunities  for  the 
smuggling  of  liquors  into  the  territory,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any 
rules  could  be  adopted,  even  to  the  regular  patroling  of  its 
waters  by  government  vessels  that  would  prevent  the  traffic. 

An  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  this  business  is  carried  on  may 
be  gleaned  from  the  fact  that  in  the  little  town  of  Juneau,  whose 
population  does  not  exceed  two  thousand  souls,  there  are 
twenty  saloons  in  actual  operation. 

The  impos.sibility  of  suppressing  this  traffic  has  become  so 
apparent  that  the  best  and  most  respected  citizens  of  the  territory 
unite  in  the  opinion  that  the  only  way  to  regulate  the  trade  is  to 
have  a  license  law.  If  such  v/ere  the  case  the  men  who  pay  a 
license  for  the  privilege  of  carrying  on  the  business  would  see 
that  only  those  who  are  legally  authorized  are  permitted  to 
engage  in  the  traffic.  This  would  suppress  the  dangerous  ele- 
ment known  as  "boot-leg"  venders,  who  sell  whisky  by  the 
pint  or  quart  to  the  Indians.  Many  evils  which  now  exist  would 
by  this  means  be  effectually  remedied,  and  the  government  would 
still  retain  a  source  of  revenue. 

In  1888  the  Democrats  of  Alaska  formed  a  party  organization 
and  sent  two  delegates  to  the  Democratic  National  Convention. 
These  delegates  were  permitted  to  take  their  seats,  and  this  was 
the  first  representation  of  the  territory  by  her  citizens. 

In  the  fall  of  1889  the  Republicans  organized  and  held  a  con- 
vention at  Juneau,  and  adopted  a  memorial  to  be  presented  to 
members  of  Congre.ss.     The  author  of  this  book  who  drafted  the 


HISTORY. 


17 


memorial  was  delegated  to  proceed  to  Washington  and  present  it 
to  both  houses  of  Congress.  He  was  also  chosen  a  member  of 
the  National  Republican  Convention  from  Alaska. 

The  memorial  referred  to  represents  clearly  the  condition  of 
affairs  in  the  territory  and  is  here  given  in  full,  as  follows: 


TO  THE  REPUHUCAN    MEMBERS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  SENATE  AND 
HOUSE  OF   RKPRESENTATIVKS. 

We,  the  Republicans  of  Alaska  in  convention  assembled,  respectfully 
represent  to  your  honorable  body,  that  on  this  the  fifth  day  of  November, 
1889,  a  day  when  the  Republicans  in  the  various  States  and  Territories  of 
the  Union  are  '  jntesting  for  the  principles  of  our  great  party,  we  are  denied 
that  sacred  privilege. 

Among  the  great  territories  of  the  west  we  alone  stand  a  monument 
representing  coiiplete  and  utter  isolation  and  non  representation.  With  an 
area  sufficient  tc;  form  a  dozen  States,  with  resources  unnumbered  and  un- 
limited, with  no  manner  of  expressing  our  just  needs  or  to  demand  our  just 
rights,  with  a  population  of  upwards  of  ten  thousand  whites  and  fifty  thou- 
sand natives,  among  whom  are  many  intelligent  and  industrious,  we  come 
to  you  for  relief. 

With  no  means  of  acquiring  title  to  property  in  which  our  capital  is 
invested  and  our  labor  is  expended,  we  ask  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will 
afford  us  relief  in  this  direction. 

With  many  of  our  people  desirous  of  securing  land  upon  which  they  can 
engage  in  farming,  stock-raising,  dairying  and  ether  pursuits  of  husbandry, 
we  ask  that  the  homestead  laws  be  extended  in  such  manner  as  will  open  up 
this  domain  for  that  class  of  our  citizens. 

With  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  invested  in  the  fish  industry  we 
ask  the  passage  of  such  laws  as  will  secure  titles  to  their  property,  and  en- 
courage the  development  of  one  of  our  greatest  resources,  and  one  which  is 
fast  becoming  valuable  to  the  nation  at  large. 

With  vast  forests  extending  throughout  the  territory  we  ask  that  the 
present  laws  relative  to  the  cutting  of  timber  be  .so  modified  as  to  allow  it  to 
be  used  for  domestic  purposes  by  the  canneries  in  the  packing  and  exporta 
tion  of  their  fish,  and  by  parties  actually  engaged  in  manufacturing  enter- 
prises within  the  territory,  and  the  exportation  of  furniture  and  other 
wooden-wares,  etc.,  etc.,  and  manufactured  from  our  native  timber. 

The  judiciary  of  Alaska  is  anomalous,  lying  between  and  dependent 
upon  the  general  laws  of  the  United  States  and  the  general  laws  of  the  State 
of  Oregon,  and  having  no  true  basis  from  which  it  can  be  interpreted. 
Therefore  we  ask  that  a  code  of  laws  be  enacted  for  the  District  of  Alaska, 
suitable  to  our  wants  and  circumstances  and  made  applicable  to  our  growing 
industries  and  connnunities 

To  day  Alaska  stands  alone  among  the  great  territories  of  the  west  with- 
out a  representative  upon  the  floor  of  Congress,  and  we  deem  it  unjust  that 
2  ■     '  ' 


l8 


ALASKA. 


a  longer  denial  of  the  rights  accorded  other  portions  of  our  country  should 
be  imposed  upon  us. 

In  presenting  this  memorial  to  your  honorable  body  we  humbly  ask  your 
unanimous  aid  in  our  behalf,  and  we  will  ever  pray,  etc. 

C.  F.  DEPUR,  Chairman. 

C.  S.  ULACKETT,  Secretary. 

The  next  Republican  National  Committee  allowed  Alaska  the 
same  representation  as  other  territories,  and  the  Democratic 
National  Convention  followed  with  a  like  action. 

During  the  winter  of  1891-2,  General  George  W.  Garside  and 
Miner  W.  Bruce  labored  with  both  houses  of  Congress  to  secure 
the  pa.ssage  of  such  laws  as  were  demanded  by  the  memorial ; 
their  efforts  were  so  far  successful,  that  the  house  comni'<tee  on 
territories  unanimously  adopted  the  bill,  which,  on  t'  3d  of 
March  of  the  following  year,  became  a  law. 

In  the  fall  of  1891,  the  People's  Convention,  held  at  Juneau, 
selected  Captain  James  Carroll,  the  well  known  master  of  the 
tourist  steamer  "Queen,"  to  proceed  to  Washington,  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  legislation.  It  was  largely  through  his 
efforts  that  the  bill  referred  to  became  a  law. 

While  this  bill  did  not,  by  any  means,  meet  the  needs  of  the 
convention,  it  was  thought  best  to  urge  its  passage,  because  the 
case  resolved  itself,  into  a  choice  of  this,  or  nothing. 

This  law  is  the  only  one  by  which  a  title  to  land  may  be 
secured  in  Alaska,  except  under  the  general  mining  laws  of  the 
country ;  by  it  individuals  or  companic ;  may  purchase  land  at 
$2.50  per  acre,  for  business  or  manufacturing  purposes;  and  resi- 
dents of  to  ms  may  acquire  title  to  their  lots. 

It  is  wo  hy  of  mention,  in  connection  with  Captain  Carroll's 
efforts  in  1  lalf  of  Alaska,  that  when  he  arrived  in  Washington 
he  propose  should  Congress  not  be  disposed  to  pass  the  lawi 
needed  for  ae  protection  of  its  citizens,  that  he  was  ready  to 
purchase  tl  territory  of  the  government,  and  was  also  prepared 
to  close  th<  transaction  for  the  sum  of  $20,000,000  at  any  time 
the  government  would  accept  it.  This  proposition,  so  character- 
istic of  the  man,  was  looked  upon  by  many  in  the  light  of  a  joke; 
yet  it  was  meant  seriously  and  had  the  effect  of  opening  the  eyes 
of  many  public  men  to  the  value  of  this  vast  new  country. 

Alaska  has  no  legislature  or  officers  elected  by  the  people  at 
large,  but  is  still  treated  as  a  district,  similar,  perhaps,  to  the 
District  of  Columbia,  where  Congress  directly  governs  affairs. 


■; 


HISTORY. 


»9 


The  passage  of  the  Organic  act  of  1884,  brought  into  the  ter- 
ritory, as  government  officials,  many  men  from  different  states  of 
the  Union,  most  of  whom  were  men  of  character  and  ability.  In 
their  official  capacities,  they  have  had  excellent  opportunities  to 
familiarize  themselves  with  the  vast  richness  of  the  territory,  and 
the  close  of  their  terms  of  office  has  seen  most  of  them  earnest 
defenders  of  its  interest. 

Perhaps  the  most  enthusiastic  of  its  advocates  is  A.  P.  Swine- 
ford,  who  was  appointed  Governor  of  Alaska,  by  President  Cleve- 
land, during  his  first  term  of  office.  His  warm  espousal  and 
radical  views  of  the  resources  of  the  territory  have  attracted  a 
great  deal  of  attention  to  Alaska.  He  is  charged  with  exaggera- 
tion and  deceit  in  hi ,  statements  of  the  resources  and  future 
possibilities  of  the  country;  but  the  developments  of  the  past 
few  years  have  demonstrated  that  his  pictures  are  not  overdrawn. 

In  the  f  .11  of  1894,  a  people's  convention  was  held  at  Juneau, 
and  a  memorial  to  Congress,  similar  to  the  one  adopted  by  the 
convention  of  1889,  and  which  the  author  of  this  book  also  had 
the  honor  of  drafting,  was  unanimously  passed. 

It  was  suggested,  by  some  of  the  delegates,  to  select  as  repre- 
sentative to  Congress  Miss  Kate  Field,  whose  championship  of 
the  territory  had  been  so  marked  that  upon  every  opportunity 
offered  she  urged  Congress  to  do  its  duty  and  relieve  the  inhab- 
itants of  their  burden.  That  she  has  thereby  gained  the  admira- 
tion of  Alaska's  citizens,  is  proved  by  this  suggestion,  but  delicacy 
lest  the  action  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  burlesque,  and  the 
fact  that  no  opportunity  was  allowed  to  ascertain  if  the  honor 
would  be  accepted,  finally  caused  the  suggestion  to  be  abandoned, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  S  Ni,well  was  unanimously  chosen  delegate  to 
Congress. 

Mr.  Nowell's  large  mining  interests  in  Alaski,  and  his  exten- 
sive acquaintance  among  members  of  Congres.s  and  officials  in 
Washington,  placed  him  in  excellent  position  to  command  respect 
and  wield  influence;  and,  but,  for  the  fact  that  the  session  was  a 
short  one,  Alaska  would,  in  all  probability,  have  been  recognized 
and  Mr.  Nowell  seated  as  its  first  delegate. 

The  enormous  growth  of  interest  in  Alaskan  affairs  during 
the  past  four  years,  is  proved  by  the  call  from  officials  at  Wash- 
ington for  all  possible  information  from  that  quarter,  and  that 
this  interest  is  shared  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  is  demon- 


T 


20 


ALASKA. 


strated  by  the  request  sent  to  Governor  Sheakely  to  be  present 
in  Washington,  during  this  session.  It  was  fondly  hoped  that 
some  legislation  would  be  effected  by  this  Congress,  "  'U,  it  is  not 
surprising,  that  Alaska  should  suffer  equally  with  otner  States 
and  Territories  in  being  overshadowed  by  the  many  important 
matters  that  have  consumed  the  time  of  that  august  body. 

Only  those  who  have  had  experience  in  the  matter  can  realize 
the  difficulty  of  securing  legislation  for  Alaska.  She  labors  under 
the  exceptional  disadvantage  of  havin>^  no  one  to  whom  she  has 
a  .ight  to  appeal  for  aid. 

The  members  of  Congress  from  other  States  and  Territories 
have  their  own  constituencies  to  look  after;  and  the  demands 
upon  their  time  by  legitimate  claimants  are  so  many  and  so  great 
that  they  can  hardly  be  expected  to  labor  for  the  interests  of  a 
country  so  remote  and  of  which  they  know  so  little. 

The  next  few  years  must  bring  about  great  changes  in  the 
governmental  affairs  of  Alaska.  In  all  probability  the  great  sec- 
tion known  as  Southeast  Alaska  will  become  a  Territory  as  soon 
as  there  shall  be  a  sufficient  numbei  of  people  within  its  limits 
to  bring  about  such  result.  At  present  there  is  a  widespread 
feeling  among  the  residents  opposed  to  territorial  organization, 
on  account  of  a  dread  of  taxes,  and  the  expenses  attendant  upon 
the  maintaining  a  form  of  government.  But  these  objections  will 
melt  away  with  the  onward  rush  of  civilization. 


CHAPTER  II. 


TOPOGRAPHY, 


i 


T^HE  elements   of  grandeur, 
weirdness,  solemnity    and 
vastness  enter,  in  a  large  degree, 
into  a  topographical  description 
of  Alaska.     Its  many  interest- 
ing   features  hold    the   mind 
spellbound  with  awe,  in  their 
presence,  and  fill  the  memory 
with    undying    wonder.      The 
labyrinth  of  verdant  islands  that  diver- 
sifies the  coast  line;  the  swelling  plains 
of    the    interior;     gigantic     mountain 
peaks,    snow-covered  and   hoary  with 
^  age;  the  mighty  glaciers — vast  rivers 
of  ice'which  for  centuries  have  slowly 
to    the   abyss   of   the    ocean,    and   which, 
centuries   will    have   entirely   disappeared, 
so  that  future  ages  will  know  them  only  by  the  records  of  their 
awful  sublimity;  the  active  volcanoes  rearing  their  smoking,  often 
fiery,  crests  among  the  mountain  peaks;  and  the  valleys,  great 
and  .small,  rich  in  natural  resources  of  many  kinds,  which  inter- 
sect the  interior  country  in  all  directions. 

Alaska  is  naturally  divided  into  tw^o  great  divisions  — South- 
east and  Western  Alaska.  Mt.  St.  Elias  marks  the  dividing  line 
between  Western  Alaska  and  Southeast  Alaska,  at  141  degrees 
west  longitude,  running  north'from  this  point  to  the  Arctic  ocean. 
For  a  number  of  years  it  was  supposed  that  Mt.  St.  Elias  was 
within  American  territory,  but  late  surveys  show  most  of  its  base 
to  be  just  over  the  line  in  the  Canadian  Dominion. 

Many  of  the  islands  in  the  inland,  or  tourist  route,  have  the 
appearance  of  half-submerged  mountains,  .n  ad  water  two  hundred 


forged    their    way 
before   many   more 


23 


ALASKA. 


fathoms  deep  is  often  found,  where  the  breadth  of  the  channel 
can  be  almost  spanned,  by  the  length  of  the  ship. 

Fiords  are  numerous,  some  of  them  winding  in  serpentine 
fashion  a  distance  of  twenty  or  more  miles,  into  the  islands  or 
mainland.  The  great  rivers  of  the  interior  drain  immense  valleys, 
with  mountain  ranges  everywhere  visible.  L,akes  are  abundant, 
often  surrounded  bj-  tundra  or  swamps,  very  frequently  impene- 
trable, covered  with  brush,  rank  grasses,  and  other  vegetation. 
After  the  interior  is  reached — and  bj'  this  is  meant  after  the 
coast  mountains  are  crossed,  in  manj'  places,  only  twenty  or  thirty 
miles  from  the  coast — the  soft  earth  and  luxuriant  vegetation  of 
the  coast  country  give  place  to  frozen  ground,  and  lichens  and 
mosses  on  the  mountain  sides  and  in  the  valleys.  But  though 
the  vast  plains  of  the  interior  are  completely  within  the  grasp  of 
the  ice  king,  for  eight  months  of  the  3"ear,  with  the  advent  of  the 
long  days  of  summer  water  runs,  flowers  bloom,  and  grasses 
spring  into  life  as  if  by  magic,  and  their  growth  is  at  once  lux- 
itriant  and  rapid,  even  though  in  many  places  the  soil  is  never 
thawed  beyond  a  few  inches  below  the  surface. 

In  the  far  north  at  St.  IVIichaels,  and  at  Point  Barrow,  wells 
have  been  dug  through  sixty  feet  of  solid  ice,  and  the  same  con- 
dition has  been  noted  on  the  Yukon,  at  Forty  Mile. 

The  Aleutian  islands,  stretching  far  out  into  the  North  Pacific, 
surrounded  bj'  rocks  scarred  and  battered  for  ages,  by  the  boister- 
ous waves,  are  without  trees,  but  they  are  thickly  covered  with 
a  low  growth  of  luxuriant  vegetation.  Between  the  mountains 
and  the  sea  are  small  plateaus  or  prairies,  with  soil  enriched  by 
vegetable  mould,  and  suitable  for  domestic  gardening.  Grass 
grows  abundantly  here,  sometimes  to  a  height  of  six  feet.  It  is 
cured  by  the  natives,  to  feed  a  few  small  Siberian  cattle,  and  they 
also  braid  it  into  useful  and  often  ornamental  articles,  such  as 
baskets,  hats  and  mats.  The  growth  of  this  grass  is  so  abundant 
and  prolific  that  investigators  have  predicted  that  this  Aleutian 
country  will  yet  furnish  the  Pacific  coast  with  its  best  butter  and 
cheese;  while  botanists  agree  that  the  southern  coast  country  of 
Alaska  abounds  in  grasses,  and  has  a  climate,  perhaps,  as  well 
adapted  for  haying  as  the  coast  of  Oregon. 

The  Russians  esteem  Cook  inlet,  which  lies  to  the  north  of 
Kadiak,  to  be  the  pleasantest  portion  of  Alaska  in  the  summer 
season.     Its  skies  are  nearly  always  bright,  as  stretching  far  in- 


I 


I 


TOPOGRAPHY, 


23 


! 


i 


land  in  a  northeasterly  direction  it  is  out  of  the  region  of  fogs, 
which  so  frequently  prevail  on  the  coast.  Its  shores  are  pleasant, 
being  well  wooded  and  watered.  Gold  has  been  found  in  large 
quantities,  and  recent  reports  tell  of  still  richer  placer  deposits 
having  been  discovered  on  the  inlet  itself  and  on  the  Kaknu  river, 
which  debouches  into  Cook  inlet. 

The  guiding  landmarks  of  Alaska  may  be  said  to  be  its  grand 
mountains,  volcanic  peaks  and  mammoth  glaciers.  Mt.  St.  Elias 
lifts  its  ermine  top  over  18,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  In 
the  distance  it  seems  to  have  its  base  on  the  very  shore  of  the 
ocean,  although  in  reality  sixty  miles  distant.  From  the  south 
side  of  Mt.  St.  Elias  eleven  glaciers  slowly  make  their  way  ocean- 
ward,  one  of  them,  named  Agassiz  glacier,  being  estimated  to  be 
twenty  miles  in  width  and  fifty  in  length,  covering  an  area  of  one 
thousand  square  miles. 

Mt.  Fairweather,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  south  of  Mt.  St. 
Elias,  is  about  15,500  feet  high  ;  Mt.  Crillon,  15,000  ;  Mt.  Perouse, 
14,300;  and  Mt.  Wrangell  is  over  19,000. 

There  are  thirty  or  more  volcanoes  in  Alaska,  six  or  eight  of 
which  are  in  an  active  state  of  eruption.  Shishaldin,  which  is 
9,000  feet  high,  is  certainly  burning,  and  its  smoke  maj-  always 
be  seen  in  clear  weather.  It  is  situated  on  Unimak  island  near 
the  pass  of  the  same  name,  usuallj'  followed  by  vessels  in  enter- 
ing Bering  sea.  Pavlof,  about  one  hundred  miles  to  the  east- 
ward, is  another  smoking  mountain ;  the  glow  from  its  crater 
may  be  seen  reflected  against  the  heavens.  Mt.  Makushin,  at  the 
eastern  extremety  of  Unalaska  island,  is  about  5,500  feet  in 
height,  and  gives  evidence  of  being  more  or  less  active ;  while 
the  tops  of  Pogrumnoi  and  Shishaldin,  on  Unimak  island,  serve 
as  beacons  at  night  or  in  foggy  weather  for  vessels  on  their  way 
into  Bering  sea,  as  they  can  be  seen  distinctly,  towering  above 
the  dense  atmosphere.  Akutan  island  has  a  smoking  volcano, 
4,000  feet  high;  and  on  Atka  island  there  are  several  volcanoes, 
from  3,000  to  4,000  feet  in  height,  which  occasionally  emit 
smoke. 

Mt.  Logan,  the  highest  known  mountain  in  North  America, 
unless  it  may  be  Mt.  Wrangell,  has  an  elevation  of  19,000  feet. 
Some  surveyors  claim  that  Wrangell  is  a  loftier  peak  than  Logan, 
but  its  exact  height  is  unknown.  Wrangell  is  clearly  within 
Alaska,  but  Logan  is  a  few  miles  ea.st  of  the  line,  in  Canadian 
territory. 


T 


a* 


ALASKA. 


Hot  mineral  springs  abound  all  over.-the  various  island  groups 
of  Alaska,  especially  those  stretching  from  the  Alaskan  penin- 
sula westward  towards  Asia.  About  fifteen  miles  south  of  Sitka, 
hot  springs  are  also  found,  which  possess  great  curative  prop- 
erties. Consumption,  scrofula,  syphilitic  diseases  and  rheu- 
matism are  common  among  the  aborigines,  consumption  being 
the  most  fatal ;  while  scrofula  prevails  to  a  great  extent,  aggra- 
vated, it  is  believed,  by  an  almost  exclusive  fish  diet  and  by 
rank  uncleanliness.  Syphilitic  diseases,  the  terrible  heritage  left 
these  natives,  as  the  result  of  contact  with  sailors  in  the  early 
days,  anr"  augmented  by  uncleanly  habits,  are  likewise  common. 
These  diseases  are  said  to  yield  readily  to  the  treatment  afforded 
by  these  natural  health  restorers,  the  hot  springs,  and  it  is 
claimed  they  can,  to  all  appearances,  be  entirely  eradicated  from 
the  system  after  a  few  weeks  bathing  and  drinking  the  waters  of 
these  springs.  They  all  possess  similar  properties,  being  strongly 
impregnated  with  iron,  sulphur,  and  magnesia. 

During  the  Russian  occupancy,  bath  houses  were  built  at 
Sitka  springs,  and  bathing  tanks  constructed,  and  natives  and 
whites  from  this  portion  of  the  territory  frequently  visited  them. 

Hot  springs  are  also  found  near  L,oring,  and  others  at  Hoonah, 
these  being  more  patronized,  because  they  are  nearer  the  settled 
portion  of  the  country. 

The  aspect  of  the  country  about  Bering  strait  is  mountainous, 
but  not  extremely  precipitous.  From  Cape  Prince  of  Wales, 
another  continent,  Asia,  may  be  seen,  for  the  Siberian  coast  is 
plainly  visible.  Citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  the  subjects  of 
the  Czar  of  all  the  Russias,  metaphorically  speaking,  might 
stand  on  their  respective  shores,  and  clasp  hands  across  the  nar- 
row channel  called  Bering  strait,  which  connects  the  waters  of  the 
Arctic  ocean  with  Bering  sea. 

This  strait  is  but  forty-eight  miles  wide,  and  the  narrow  pass- 
age is  partially  filled  by  I,ittle  and  Big  Diomede  islands  near  the 
middle  of  the  strait.  The  islands  are  only  two  miles  apart,  and 
the  line  of  demarcation  between  Alaska  and  Siberia  runs  midway 
between  them.  The  shallow  water  of  Bering  strait,  averaging 
only  about  twenty-seven  fathoms  in  depth,  and  the  .short  distance 
between  the  two  continents,  give  rise  to  interesting  speculation 
concerning  the  connecting  of  the  eastern  and  western  hemispheres 
by  a  railroad  which  would,  literally,  girdle  the  world.     Fancy 


i 


■ 

I 


I 


TOPOGRAPHY. 


35 


leaving  New  York  by  special  limited  train,  traversing  the  North 
American  continent  longitudinally  to  the  great  Yukon  valley, 
then  westward  to  Bering  strait,  crossing  it  with  the  trans- 
Siberian  railway  as  a  connection,  and  speeding  on  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, Paris,  L,ondon,  etc.,  and  this  is  within  the  realm  of 
possibility.  Engineering  skill  has  made  rapid  progress  within  a 
decade,  and  who  shall  say  what  the  genius  of  man  aided  by 
wonderful  inventions  and  electricity  will  accomplish! 

It  will  be  a  physical  impossibility  to  span  Bering  strait  with  a 
bridge,  owing  to  the  swift  current  and  the  vast  quantities  of  ice 
which,  in  winter,  are  continually  flowing  through,  and  which 
would  speedily  demolish  such  a  structure.  It  may  be  possible, 
however,  that  the  strait  could  be  tunneled,  but  it  is  here  sug- 
gested—  as  more  practicable  —  that  it  could  be  filled  in  with 
rock,  allowing  suiHcient  openings  for  the  vraters  to  flow  through, 
and  for  vessels  to  pass,  thus  forming  an  adamantine  roadway 
between  the  extreme  west  and  east,  as  represented  by  the  United 
States  and  Siberia. 

The  mountains  that  mark  the  westernmost  point  of  the  conti- 
nent at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales  are  rocky  and  barren,  the  ledges 
standing  upon  high  pillars,  with  shattered  sides,  and  uneven  sur- 
faces. Towards  the  base,  facing  Bering  strait,  the  slope  is 
gradual,  extending  into  a  low  sandy  beach  reaching  out  into  the 
strait  a  mile  or  more  and  then  bearing  to  the  north.  Endless 
quantities  of  rock  could  be  taken  from  these  mountains  of  solid 
stone  and  dumped  into  the  strait,  until  a  roadway,  similar  to  the 
great  wall  of  China,  but  deeper,  and  broader,  and  stronger, 
would  rise  from  the  bottom  of  the  shallow  waters.  The  expense, 
it  is  true,  would  be  enormous  —  and  no  attempt  is  here  made  to 
discuss  scientific  difficulties  in  the  way  —  but  let  it  be  remem- 
bered that  all  great  engineer  ing  projects  have  been  first  ridiculed 
and  denounced  as  chimerical,  as,  v/itness — the  Suez  canal,  Nica- 
ragua canal,  the  Panama  canal,  and  other  great  triumphs  of  engi- 
neering skill.  The  practicability  of  the  Panama  canal,  in  which 
the  French  people  invested  tens  of  millions  of  dollars,  though 
yet  uncompleted,  has  been  fully  demonstrated.  To  carry  so 
gigantic  an  enterprise  to  a  successful  completion  unlimited  capi- 
tal and  labor  would  be  required.  In  the  matter  of  labor,  if  white 
men  could  not  be  found,  twenty-five  thousand  Eskimos,  who  are 
indefatigable  workers,  could  be  utilized.     And  should  the  enter- 


pp 


36 


ALASKA. 


prise  be  undertaken  jointly,  by  the  governments  of  the  United 
States  and  Russia,  the  latter  would,  no  doubt,  make  use  of  her 
convicts,  as  she  is  now  doing  in  the  construction  of  the  trans- 
Siberian  railroad. 

Alaska  offers  many  inducements  for  railroad  building.  The 
physical  contour  of  the  country,  especially  in  the  interior,  pre- 
sents few  obstacles,  and  the  numerous  valleys  afford  natural  ave- 
nues for  the  construction  of  the.se  great  highways.  The  rich 
gold  fields,  the  mighty  plains  of  the  Yukon  and  its  many  tribu- 
taries, will  yet  hear  the  snorting  of  the  iron  horse,  and  the  vast 
coal  and  gold  fields,  mountains  of  silver  and  iron  ore,  as  well  as 
many  other  natural  resources  of  this  country,  will  be  opened  up 
by  the  enterprise  of  the  twentieth  century.  The  idomitable 
energy  and  power  of  man  will  yet  lay  this  vast  country  under 
tribute  and  cause  it  to  yield  a  golden  harvest. 

An  all  rail  route  from  the  new  world  to  the  old,  across  Bering 
strait,  would  be  the  connecting  link  to  weld  the  nations  together, 
in  the  development  of  commerce  and  of  the  untold  riches  of  little 
known  portions  of  the  two  vast  continents.  That  this  would  be 
a  mammoth  luidertaking,  is  not  denied,  but  it*  possibilitj^  cannot 
be  questioned.  It  is  not  all  fanciful — "the  unsubstantial 
pageant  of  a  dream" — but  is  rather  the  living,  actual  reality, 
that  before  another  quarter  of  a  centurj'  has  rolled  away  a  great 
international  highway  will  be  opened  up  and  the  nations  of  the 
world  will  become  its  patrons. 


CHAPTER  III. 


I 


CLIMATE    AND   AGRICULTURE. 

T^HE  beneficent  Japan  current  influences  the  whole  country, 
even  as  far  north  as  the  Kuskoqum  river,  and  has  the 
effect  of  soothing  the  climate  of  the  north  Bering  sea  coast. 

Precipitation  is  very  great  in  the  southern  coast  country. 
The  air  is  cool  during  the  pleasantest  time  of  the  year,  in  the 
long  summer  daj'S  when  the  sun  shines  most.  As  a  rule,  it  is 
clear  but  few  days  in  the  year  ;  usually,  however,  in  June  and 
July,  the  sun  pierces  the  deep  and  heavy  clouds  that  settle  over 
the  mountains,  and  brightens  up  the  landscape.  When  the  sun 
is  obscured,  it  is  liable  to  rain  for  days,  and  sometimes  for  two 
or  three  weeks  at  a  time.  But  rains  here  are  not  so  cold  and 
chilly,  as  iti  most  countries,  where  cloudy  or  rainy  weather  pre- 
vails for  long  periods,  and,  as  a  rule,  are  warm  and  soft. 

The  average  rainfall  along  the  coast  is  not  far  short  of  one 
hundred  inches  a  year,  and  at  Unalaska,  in  1884,  one  hundred 
and  fifty-five  inches  was  recorded. 

The  fall  of  snow  in  the  coast  country  is  also  considerable.  At 
times  it  covers  the  earth  to  a  depth  of  three  feet  on  a  level,  but 
is  usually  damp,  and  a  snow  storm  is  apt  to  turn  into  rain  in  a 
few  hours,  causing  the  huge  bank  and  drifts  to  disappear.  The 
mercury  rarely  falls  to  zero  in  any  part  of  the  southern  coast 
country,  it  is  more  likely  to  register  above  freezing  point  than 
below  during  the  greater  part  of  the  winter. 

The  climate  is  much  dryer  in  the  interior,  rain  occurring  as 
a  rule,  only  in  the  spring  and  summer.  In  severe  showers 
it  is  sometimes  accompanied  by  fierce  thunder  and  lightning, 
which  rarely  is  known  on  the  coast. 

Probably  no  other  section  of  this  continent  presents  such  a 
diversity  of  climate  as  Alaska.  The  heai  of  the  summer  in  the 
interior  is  sometimes  intense,  often  registering  over  one  hundred 
degrees  in  the  shade,  and  it  has  been  known  to  burst  a  spirit 
thermometer  after  graduating  up  to  one  hundred  and  twenty. 


38 


ALASKA. 


Summer  heat,  however,  is  quickly  followed  by  winter  cold,  and 
the  mercury  will  fall  to  fifty  or  sixty  degrees  below  zero.  On 
one  occassion,  at  Fort  Yukon,  it  was  known  to  have  reached 
seventy  degrees  below  zero.  The  winter  begins  about  the  fir..t 
of  October  and  lasts  until  the  first  of  June.  The  mean  temper- 
ature during  the  months  of  December,  January,  and  February, 
is  about  twenty-four  degrees  below  zero.  This  cold  weather  and 
long  period  of  winter  is  felt  to  within  a  very  few  miles  of  the 
coast,  or  from  the  point  where  the  mountains  are  crossed. 

Nothwithstanding  the  marked  variations  in  the  climate, 
Alaska  is  essentially  a  healthy  country.  The  only  prevailing 
diseases  are  those  of  a  bronchial  nature,  and  in  most  cases  these 
troubles  can  be  directly  traced  to  imprudent  exposure. 

The  snow  of  the  interior  partakes  much  of  the  character  of 
frost,  sifting  slowly  down  in  intensely  cold  weather  until  it  lies 
several  inches  deep,  light  and  fluffy;  but  at  times,  in  warm 
weather,  it  thaws  and  settles  into  a  hard  crust,  affording  excellent 
surface  for  sledding. 

The  great  precipitation  and  humii"  y  of  the  atmosphere  in 
Southern  Alaska  cause  the  entire  coast  region  to  be  clothed  in  a 
mantle  of  perennial  green.  Vegetation  is  dense,  and  the  forests 
magnificent,  The  soil  is  rich,  though  in  the  heavily  timbered 
section,  it  is  shallow ;  and  from  the  most  eastern  point  of  the 
territory  to  Kadiak,  root  crops  are  easily  grown.  Radishes,  let- 
tuce, carrots,  onions,  cauliflower,  peas,  turnips,  cabbage,  beets, 
celery  and  potatoes,  yield  prolificly.  On  one-sixth  of  an  acre 
at  Sitka,  eighty  bushels  of  potatoes  have  been  raised.  It  was, 
however,  a  plot  of  ground  that  had  been  formerly  used  by  the 
Russians  as  a  garden  and  was  carefully  prepared.  Strawberries 
grow  with  the  greatest  spontaneity,  and  have  a  flavor  equal  to 
those  of  southern  latitudes.  Some  extensive  fields  of  straw- 
berries are  found  under  the  very  shadow  of  the  glaciers,  both  at 
Glacier  bay  and  at  Yakutat.  Potatoes  are  grown  in  most  of  the 
native  villages  along  the  coast  country.  No  system  of  planting 
is  followed,  the  rule  being  simply  to  bury  a  whole  potato  in  the 
ground  and  when  the  vines  appear  above  the  surface  thin  out  if 
necessary ;  dirt  is  then  heaped  in  a  soft  hill  with  but  little  of 
the  care  given  this  crop  by  practical  farmers.  The  potatoes 
g^own  here  have  an  excellent  flavor,  but  are  inclined  to  be  watery. 
The  cultivation  of  the  soil  by  the  natives  is  of  the  most  primi- 
tive character,  and  that  by  the  whites  is  carelessly  done. 


CLIMATE  AND  AGRICULTURE. 


»9 


Oats,  barley,  and  wheat  have  been  grown  on  the  Stikeen  river, 
where  the  climate  is  colder  and  dryer.  The  precipitation  on  the 
coast  is  .so  great  that  it  is  doubtful  if  cereals  could  mature,  except 
in  a  dry  season.  They  grow  very  rapidly,  but  run  largely  to 
stock,  and  before  they  can  mature,  are  cut  down  by  frosts  or 
mould  through  dampness.  Silos  and  ensilage  would  undoubt- 
edly be  a  success  here.  Cattle  prefer  the  hay  of  the  country  to 
that  imported,  and  if  the  two  are  fed  to  them  mixed,  they  will 
separate  the  native  hay  and  eat  it  first. 

As  soon  as  the  snow  has  disappeared  in  the  spring,  masses  of 
herbage  spring  into  life  and  quickly  blossom.  Fruits  rapidly 
mature  and  harvest  closelj-  follows  seed  time.  It  is  a  surprising 
fact  that  not  only  on  the  coast,  but  also  in  the  interior,  small 
fruits,  especially  raspberries,  blueberries,  cranberries  and  red 
currants  everywhere  abound.  When  the  sun  shines  continually 
for  twenty-four  hours  vegetable  life  is  extremely  rapid,  notwith- 
standing the  .shortness  of  the  season. 

The  capability  of  the  soil  of  Alaska  under  a  proper  system  of 
cultivation,  both  on  the  coast  and  in  the  interior,  remains  yet  to 
be  demonstrated.  It  is  hoped  that  agricultural  experimental 
stations  will  be  established  by  the  government,  in  the  different 
parts  of  the  territory,  say — one  at  Chilkat,  one  at  Kadiak,  and  one 
in  the  interior.  If  this  is  done  intelligent  and  practical  experi- 
ments with  the  various  grains,  roots,  and  grasses  suitable  to  these 
latitudes  can  be  made.  In  the  .spring  of  1894,  the  author  had  the 
honor  of  appearing  before  the  house  committee  on  agriculture  in 
support  of  establishing  stations  as  above;  and  a  bill  appropriating 
fifteen  thou.sand  dollars  for  the  purpo.se  was  unanimously  re- 
ported, but  it  met  with  the  usual  fate  of  Ala.skan  measure.s — was 
never  reached  on  the  calendar.  From  the  climatic  influences 
known  to  exist,  and  the  good  results  achieved  by  the  crude, 
tentative  experiments  already  made,  one  can  fairly  infer  that  the 
conditions  are  favorable  for  certain  kinds  of  crops  which  only 
intelligent  experimenting  will  determine. 

Stock  raising  in  Alaska,  also,  must  first  be  investigated. 
Along  the  coast  the  chilly  air  of  fall  and  winter  is  very  trying, 
and  cold  rains,  snow,  .sleet  and  severe  winds  are  all  encountered. 
F^xperimcnts,  heretofore  made,  have  not  proved  entirely  satisfac- 
tory. Foot  rot  in  sheep  has  interfered  with  this  industry,  to  some 
extent,  but  experienced  stockmen,  familiar  with  the  interior  of 


30 


ALASKA. 


the  territory,  are  confident  that  it  presents  excellent  opportunities 
for  the  successful  raising  of  cattle;  and  believe  it  is  possible  that 
the  great  interior  may,  within  a  very  few  years,  become  a  feed- 
ing ground  for  tens  of  thousands  of  sheep  and  cattle. 

The  tundra  moss-covered  regions,  suitable  for  reindeer  grazing, 
prevail  throughout  the  whole  western  coast  country,  and,  in  the 
interior,  for  many  miles  nutritious  grass  and  moss  are  everywhere 
found  in  abundance. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MINERAL   AND  TIMBER. 

T^HE  first  discovery  of  gold  in  Southeast  Alaska  was  near 
Sitka,  in  the  year  1873.  It  excited  much  interest  in  the 
small  settlements  throughout  the  southeastern  coast,  and  pros- 
pecting soon  commenced  in  earnest.  Miners  from  the  old  Cassiar 
region  in  British  Columbia,  and  the  northwest  territory,  began 
to  push  forward  into  Alaska,  and,  in  the  summer  of  1880,  gold 
was  discovered  in  the  vicinity  of  Juneau.  From  this  date  may 
be  reckoned  the  developments  that  have  reached  such  large  pro- 
portions and  drawn  the  attention  of  the  whole  mining  interests 
in  America  to  our  Alaska  possessions. 

The  little  Indian  settlement  at  the  head  of  Gastineau  channel, 
which  had  rarely  seen  a  white  man,  was  soon  enlivened  by  the 
tents  and  rude  huts  of  the  miners,  which  were  scattered  along  the 
coast  for  many  miles;  and  back  into  the  interior  went  prospectors, 
singly,  and  in  parties  of  three  or  more,  in  search  of  gold,  as  very 
strong  indications  led  them  to  believe,  it  lay  somewhere  in  this 
vicinity. 

Joseph  Juneau  was  the  first  man  to  demonstrate  the  existence 
of  gold  in  this  district  in  any  considerable  quantities.  During 
the  early  days  of  the  settlement  there  seemed  a  disposition  to 
bestow  honor  upon  one  Richard  Harris,  a  partner  of  Juneau,  by 
naming  the  first  mining  town  after  him.  So  the  town  was  first 
called  Harrisburg,  subsequently  named  Pockwell,  in  honor  of 
one  of  the  officers  of  the  United  States  steamer  Jamestown,  then 
located  at  Sitka;  but  the  inhabitants  finally  determined  to  give 
it  the  name  Juneau,  which  it  now  bears. 

Gold  creek  pours  its  waters  down  through  the  deep  ravines 
and  gorges  that  extend  back  from  Juneau  for  four  or  five  miles. 
It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  yield  of  gold,  but  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  it  reached  many  thousands  of  dollars.  While  it  was  not 
claimed  that  any  great  amount  was  taken  out  by  one  individual, 
it  is  a  fact  that  many  men  found  diggings  which  paid  them  hand- 


,r~ 


■ 


32 


ALASKA. 


somely,  and  effectually  demonstrated  that  they  were  in  the  heart 
of  a  rich  gold  region. 

About  the  time  of  the  first  gold  excitement  at  Junedu,  the  re- 
port was  circulated  that  gold  had  been  found  on  the  top  of  a 
mountain  about  two  miles  across  the  bay,  and  it  was  learned  that 
a  miner,  known  in  camp  by  the  name  of  "French  Pete,"  had 
staked  off  a  claim.  Mr.  John  Treadwell  was  at  this  time  pros- 
pecting in  the  region,  and  investigated  this  location;  being  con- 
vinced that  it  would  prove  good  property,  he  purchased  it  for  the 
sum  of  $400.  By  initiring  energy,  and  persistent  efforts,  he  de- 
veloped the  property,  forging  his  way  almost  inch  by  inch.  He 
erected  first  a  five  stamp  mill.  The  result  was  so  promising  that 
he  found  little  trouble  in  organizing  a  company  with  capital  suf- 
ficient to  erect  a  one  hundred  and  twenty  .stamp  mill,  which, 
seven  years  after  the  first  discovery,  was  enlarged  to  two  hundred 
and  forty  stamps,  and  the  largest  mill  in  the  world  was  soon 
pounding  out  gold.  For  the  past  seven  years  there  has  hardly 
been  a  break  in  the  rattle  of  the  machinery  or  the  booming  of  the 
heavy  charges  of  dynamite,  as  they  are  echoed  and  re-echoed 
over  the  channel  to  the  town  of  Juneau.  Day  and  night  during 
this  whole  period,  with  the  exception  of  the  Fourth  of  July  and 
Christmas,  and,  perhaps,  one  or  two  other  days  in  the  year,  it  has 
never  been  known  to  stop.  In  calling  this  the  greatest  mill  in 
the  world,  we  mean  that  it  is  fully  equipped  in  every  department 
pertaining  to  a  well  regulate  1  and  efficient  working  property; 
and  although  the  ore  is  knov.ii  ,is  very  low  grade,  estimated  by 
some  as  yielding  only  $1.85  i'«  bullion  to  the  ton  of  ore,  the  gold 
output  from  this  mine  since  llic  jull  two  hundred  and  forty  stamps 
have  been  in  operation  has  reached  the  sum  of  $70, 000  or  $80,000 
per  month. 

While  the  di.scovery  of  this  rich  ledge  awakened  a  widespread 
interest  in  Alaska,  it  was  also  the  means  of  effecting  the  organ- 
ization of  a  company  which  perpetrated  a  swindle  aggregating 
several  hundred  thousand  dollars.  A  claim  adjoining  the  great 
Treadwell  nine,  and  represented  to  be  fully  as  promising,  was 
located,  after  i  supposed  thorough  and  careful  system  of  pros- 
pecting. Gen  lan  and  English  capitalists  were  induced  to  take 
hold  of  it;  tunnels  were  run,  machinery  erected,  and  everything 
made  ready  to  Uart  the  operation  of  a  huge  plant,  when  it  was 
discovered  thaL  the  claim  had  been  "salted."     Work  stopped  at 


MINKRAI.  AND  TIMHICR. 


33 


once,  and  Mie  mining  world  was  startled  by  the  atuiouncemciit 
that  the  Bear's  Nest  mine  in  Alaska  was  a  gigantic  swindle.  This 
threw  cold  water  upon  the  mining  development  of  Alaska  for  a 
period  of  three  or  lour  years,  and  no  matter  how  promising  a 
claim  it  could  not  be  negotiated  at  any  ])rice.  Capitalists  look- 
ing for  investments  were  afraid  to  venture  into  Alaska.  The 
rumor,  too,  became  current  that  the  Treadwell  mine  was  a  mere 
"blowout"  or  pocket,  where,  by  a  singular  freak  of  nature,  a  lot 
of  gold  had  been  dumped  in  one  huge  pile,  and  that  it  would 
never  be  found  in  paying  quantities  anywhere  else  in  the  country, 

During  this  time,  however,  a  number  of  men  who  had  followed 
mining  camps  from  tli*'  oarliest  days  of  California  up  thrf)Ugh 
Oregon,  into  the  Cariboo  and  Cassiar  regions  of  British  Columbia, 
finally  drifted  into  Alaska,  and  l)elieved  they  were  yet  within  the 
mineral  belt.  Their  entire  energy  and  every  dollar  they  could 
command  were  expended  in  the  development  of  mining  claims 
that  were  staked  out  in  many  places  along  the  coast  of  South- 
eastern Alaska,  and  the  result  of  their  work  has  shown  that  t'leir 
confidence  was  not  misplaced.  Without  entering  into  a  detailed 
or  tedious  enumeration  of  the  different  cami)s  or  claims  which 
have  been  prospected  successfully,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  all 
through  the  Southeastern  Alaska  coast  to  the  end  of  the  inland 
channel  or  tourist  route,  at  the  very  gates  of  the  Pacific  ocean, 
wherein  lies  America's  \'enice,  gold  and  rich  deposits  of  silver 
and  galena  ore  are  found.  To  the  energy  and  steadfast  belief  of 
a  few  of  the  old  .settlers  in  Sitka  is  due  in  no  small  degree  the 
credit  of  establishing  the  fact  that  the  gold  belt  of  California  and 
the  Western  Territories  was  not  riven  asunder  when  it  reached 
the  coa.st  range;  and  when  the  mountains  that  tower  behind  the 
capital  at  Sitka  are  made  to  yield  up  the  ore  that  livs  buried  in 
their  innermost  recesses,  we  believe  it  will  prove  to  be  as  rich  as 
any  jet  discovered  in  this  country. 

In  several  places  on  Prince  of  Wales  island,  and  north  on 
Annette  i.sland,  a  number  of  excellent  locations  have  been  found 
where  free  gold  is  scattered  among  the  rocks.  Within  the  past 
few  months  prospectors  have  located  claims,  the  assays  of  which 
indicate  large  and  rich  deposits  ot  gold.  The  prospectors  for 
silver,  four  or  five  years  ago,  met  with  good  success,  but  on 
account  of  the  depreciation  in  value  of  this  metal  the  .search  for 
it  has  been  almost  entirelj-  abandoned. 


m" 


34 


ALASKA. 


! 


Passing  north  towards  Juneau,  at  Sum  Duni,  is  located  the 
Bald  Eagle  mining  claim,  which  after  being  thoroughly  pros- 
pected was  sold  a  lew  months  ago  for  many  thousands  of  dollars. 
The  present  season  is  seeing  the  erection  of  a  ten -stamp  mill  at 
this  place;  the  owners  feel  fully  justified  in  the  expenditure 
because  the  ore  shipments  from  this  mine  to  the  Puget  Sound 
smelting  works  promise  rich  results.  The  ore  is  valued  at  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  dollars  per  ton.  Northward,  within  four 
miles  of  Juneau,  at  Sheep  creek,  the  Silver  Queen  mine  is 
located  and  a  ten-stamp  mill  in  operation.  Adjoining,  claims 
have,  during  the  past  four  years,  been  jirospected,  until  the 
probabilities  are  that  this  will  be  the  seat  of  active  and  extended 
operations  the  coming  year.  Within  a  radius  of  four  miles  of 
Juneau,  besides  the  great  Treadwell  mine,  there  are  eight  mills 
in  operation  and  the  output  is  such  as  to  encourage  the  com- 
panies in  extended  and  most  active  prosecution  in  the  work  of 
development. 

Gold  creek,  which  comes  down  through  the  mountains  north 
of  Juneau,  and  flows  into  the  bay  in  a  rushing  torrent  of  water, 
drains  about  four  miles  of  country,  and  upon  both  sides  the 
rugged  mountains  .sf.ems  to  be  interwoven  by  rich  ledges  of  gold 
quartz.  Six  stamp  mills  are  constantly  at  work  eight  months  of 
the  year,  and  the  coming  season  will  .seethe  beginning  of  develop- 
ment by  the  erection  of  mills  on  several  other  claims.  A  num- 
ber of  placer  claims  have  been  successfully  operated  there  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  at  what  is  known  as  the  "  basin  "  many 
thousands  of  dollars  have  been  spent  in  getting  ready  to  operate 
by  hydraulic  machinery'  what  promises  to  be  valuable  property, 

Acro.ss  the  bay  adjoining  the  great  Treadwell  mine,  at  what 
is  known  as  the  Mexico  mine,  a  sixty-.stamp  mill  is  in  operation 
which  will  be  enlarged  by  an  addition  of  sixt}'  more  this  coming 
.sea.son.  To  the  east  of  that  is  the  Ready  Bullion,  and  a  two 
hundred-stamp  mill  will  be  operated  the  coming  year;  tliese  two 
claims  are  >wned  or  controlled  by  the  company  that  owns  the 
great  Trradwell  mine. 

Towards  Lynn  canal,  sixty  miles  from  Juneau,  the  Berner's 
Bay  mining  property  shows  indications  that  the  richness  and 
quantity  of  this  ore  will  prove  as  great  as  any  yet  found.  On 
Admiralty  i.sland,  at  Kunta  bay,  al.so,  is  a  group  of  what  will 
probably  prove  one  of  the  richest  mining  camps  in  the  whole  of 
Southeast  Ala.ska.     A  number  of  ledges  are  found  that  contain 


MINERAL  AND  TIMBKR. 


35 


cated  the 

hlj-  pros- 

)f  dollars. 

ip  mill  at 

penditure 

et  Sound 

ed  at  np- 

ithin  four 

mine  is 

g,  claims 

until  the 

extended 

r  miles  of 

light  mills 

the  com- 

le  work  of 

lins  north 

of  water, 

sides  the 

es  of  gold 

months  of 

3f  develop- 

A  num- 

[  there  for 

i'm  "  many 

to  operate 

'.  property. 

e,  at  what 

1  operation 

his  coming 

and  a  two 

these  two 

,  owns  the 

e  Werner's 
:hness  and 
bund.  On 
what  will 
le  whole  of 
lat  contain 


rich  ore  and  rock,  which,  when  pounded  out  from  any  of  the.se 
ledges,  yield  in  every  instance  exceptionally  rich  deposits  of  gold 
in  the  bottom  of  the  pan. 

At  Glacier  bay  there  are  many  strong  indications  of  silver,  the 
veins  being  easil}'  traced  along  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  which 
are  entirely  nude  of  vegetation.  On  Willoughby  island,  in  par- 
ticular, there  are  rich  galena  deposits,  and  up  to  the  time  of  the 
depreciation  of  silver  extensive  preparations  were  made  to  de- 
velop several  of  these  properties.  At  the  extreme  end  of  Glacier 
bay  are  very  rich  deposits,  in  which  native  silver  has  been  found 
among  galena.  The  owners  are  carefully  doing  their  assessment 
work  each  year  and  waiting  for  silver  to  appreciate  so  as  to  re- 
sume operations. 

Pa.ssing  outside  of  the  waters  of  the  inland  canal  into  the 
North  Pacific,  rich  mineral  indications  are  foimd  along  the  coast 
at  Lituya  bay.  Rich  deposits  of  ruby  and  black  sand  stretch 
along  the  coast  for  many  miles  towards  Kakutat.  The  quality 
of  the  gold  found  in  this  region  is  fine,  but  amalgamates  readily, 
and  is  easily  saved  by  careful  sluicing.  Although  there  has  been 
considerable  work  in  this  region  at  placer  mining  during  the  past 
four  or  five  years,  there  seems  to  be  quite  an  extensive  range  of 
country  yet  unworked,  or,  for  that  matter,  unprospected.  Prac- 
tical miners  who  have  investigated  this  portion  of  the  coast 
believe  that  a  rich  and  extensive  mining  section  will  here  be 
opened  up.  There  is  no  doubt  that  gold  exi.sts  in  Cook  inlet, 
but  to  what  extent  remain.-,  to  be  determined. 

The  early  Russian  .settlers  are  known  to  have  worked  at  placer 
mining  at  Cook  inkt,  but  ''s  yet  prospecting  to  any  great  extent 
has  not  been  done  in  this  region. 

For  the  past  four  or  five  years  prospecting  has  been  carried 
on  at  Unga,  on  the  island  of  that  name,  and  the  work  has  been 
tlh  .  igh  and  exten.sive.  A  ten  stamp  mill  was  first  erected,  and 
last  year  the  capacity  increa.sed  to  forty  stamps,  and  the  Alaska 
Commercial  Company,  who  own  the  property,  feel  satisfied  that 
they  have  a  mine  which  it  will  take  many  years  to  exhaust, 
and  that  will  prove  a  paying  investment.  This  section  of  Alaska 
has  every  indication  of  rich  mineral  deposits,  but  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  the  white  settlements  are  very  scarce,  the  means  of 
communication  with  the  outside  world  very  uncertain,  and  the 
cost  of  p -ovisions  and  supplies  very  expensive,  it  is  not  to  be 


36 


ALAvSKA. 


wondered  that  so  little  has  been  done  and  so  little  known  of  the 
resources  of  this  vast  country . 

At  Golofnin  bay,  Norton  sound,  some  ten  years  ago,  indica- 
tions of  rich  galena  deposits  were  found.  The  discoverer  returned 
to  San  Francisco  with  a  few  samples  of  the  ore,  the  assay  of 
which  proved  to  be  very  rich.  A  schooner  was  fitted  out  and 
sent  there  the  following  season,  and  in  due  time  was  loaded  down 
with  the  ore;  but  soon  after  leavmg  the  bay  a  severe  storm  was 
encountered,  and  when  last  seen  by  the  natives  on  shore  she  w  ;s 
laboring  in  a  heavy  sea,  and  nothing  more  was  ever  heard  ot  Iif- 
Subsequently  another  vessel  was  fitted  out  and  considerable  o.'. 
was  taken  to  San  Francisco,  which  proved  so  rich  that  a  com- 
pany was  organized  ano  in  1 891-2  $60,000  was  expended  on  the 
mine.  Another  large  quantity  of  ore  was  shipped  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, which  proved  to  be  as  rich  as  any  heretofore  taken  from 
this  mine,  but  on  account  of  difficulty  among  the  members  of  the 
company  work  on  the  property  was  abandoned.  It  is  understood, 
however,  that  the  quality  and  quantity  of  ore  found  here  are 
sufficient  to  pay  a  handsome  profit  for  its  shipment  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, even  at  the  present  price  of  this  metal.  It  is  expected  the 
company  will  resume  operations  on  an  extensive  scale  this  coming 
.season. 

The  only  indications  of  mineral  to  any  extent  north  of  this 
point  are  those  reported  by  Lieutenant  Stoney,  who  .spent 
two  or  three  years  in  the  region  of  Kotzebue  sound  some  years 
ago;  he  having  found  gold  along  the  Selawik  and  Buckland 
rivers.  Last  summer  the  author  saw  an  Eskimo  near  Fort  Mor- 
ton who  had  in  his  possession  fully  an  ounce  of  course  gold,  tied 
up  in  .seal  skin,  which  he  had  found  on  the  Kowak  river. 

Southeastern  Alaska  is  well  timbered,  the  prevailing  varieties 
being  spruce  and  hemlock,  red  and  yellow  cedar.  The  spruce 
and  hemlock  found  here  are  usually  of  large  size,  often  a  hun- 
dred feet  high  and  six  and  iight  feet  in  diameter.  The  yellow 
cedar  is  a  beautiful  wood,  admitting  high  polish,  and  is  especially 
adapted  for  manufacture  of  furniture.  It  may  easily  take  the 
place  of  mahogany  and  other  tropical  and  .sub-tropical  woods. 
The  yellow  cedar  grows  many  feet  in  height  traighf  nnd  clear, 
without  any  d.fect  whatsoever.  The  wood,  wlieu  polisiied,  pre- 
sents a  beautiful  yellowish  hue  and  is  hard  and  oonif),  i  though 
easily  worked.  Little  is  known  of  the  e  'tent  ot  the  yellow 
cedar,  but  no  doubt  explorations  will  discover  considerable  areas 


L--?.. 


MINERAL  AND  TIMBER. 


37 


vn  of  the 

I,  indica- 

returned 

assay  of 

out  and 

ded  down 

torm  was 

e  she  was 

rd  ol  i;t"- 

rable  o<<. 

at  a  coin- 

led  on  the 

San  Fran- 

iken  from 

)ers  of  the 

iderstood, 

here  are 

San  Fran- 

pected  the 

liis  coming 

rtli  of  this 

v'ho    spent 

ome  years 

Buckland 

Fort  Mor- 

gold,  tied 

er. 

g  varieties 
'he  spruce 
ten  a  hun- 
Mie  yellow 
j  especially 
y  take  the 
cal  woods, 
and  clear, 
•sued,  pre- 
■:t  though 
:he  yellow 
rable  areas 


of  this  valuable  wood.  From  Sitka  westward,  the  forests  become 
scrubby  and  the  timber  small  in  size,  but  alder  and  willow  are 
found  in  many  places.  The  timber  line  extends  to  a  height  of 
about  fifteen  hundred  feet.  The  timber  along  the  lower  portion 
of  the  Yukon  is  composed  prnicipally  of  willow,  alder  and  cotton- 
wood.  Towards  Norton  .sound,  it  grows  to  a  fair  size.  Spruce 
is  also  found,  as  a  rule,  on  most  streams  emptying  into  the  Yukon 
river  and  Bering's  sea.  The  rivers  entering  the  Arctic  as  far 
north  as  latitude  sixty-.seven  degrees  are  more  or  less  timbered 
ivith  the  same  variety.  Along  Wood  river  there  are  some  fine 
groves  of  large  spruce  timber,  and  back  in  the  interior,  and  along 
the  banks  of  the  rivers  and  on  level  stretches  of  country,  fir  tim- 
ber is  also  found  to  considerable  extent.  Dwarf-spruce,  cotton- 
wood,  alder  and  willow,  are  also  found  in  the  Nushagak  and 
Kuskoqum  regions.  The  willow  usually  found  along  the  coast 
west  of  Mt.  St.  Elias  is  .scrubby,  but  in  the  moraines  of  that 
mountain  and  along  the  delta  of  the  Copper  river  it  grows  to  a 
height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  Noatuk 
river,  in  latitude  sixty-seven  degrees  north,  spruce,  birch  and 
Cottonwood  are  found  of  a  stunted  growth,  fit  only  for  fire  wood 
and  the  construction  of  log  houses. 

Tn  the  Yukon  country,  from  Five  Fingers  all  the  way  to 
Koserefski  mission,  on  the  Yukon,  the  timber  growing  along  the 
barks  i.-  principally  willow,  alder  and  spruce,  the  latter  being  the 
\ir.v;  ili'.g  variety.  It  is  generally  scrubby  but  many  good  sized 
i.-et..  J  f  found.  The  islaiios  in  the  river  from  Five  Fingers  to 
the  m  'Tth  r.^'  the  Yukon  are  generally  well  timbered,  the  larger 
islaiivl-  .-^.ug  better  wooded  than  the  main  land. 

The  coal  resources  of  Alaska  are  lying  dormant  because  the 
time  does  not  seem  to  have  arrived  for  the  necessity  of  the  opening 
up  of  the  mines.  A  number  of  small  veins  or  .seams  have  been 
found  on  several  of  the  islands  in  the  Southeastern  Ala.skati 
country.  Those  which,  perhaps  .so  far  have  attracted  the  most 
itteudon,  are  on  Chicagofif  island  near  Killisnoo,  where  every 
.).;'Jiciii.ion  promises  an  extensive  deposit.  All  thecoalTound  in 
.\  ia;ka  is  bituminous,  and  of  a  very  good  quality.  Deposits  have 
fKon  found  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Chilkat  river,  Lituya  bay. 
Cook  inlet,  Unga  island  and  Port  MoHar.  The  most  extensive 
coal  fields  or  deposits  are  in  the  Cook  inlet  country, ^cropping 
out  on  the  beaches,  and  along  many  of  the  streams.  Unga  i.sland 
has  throe  distinct  veins  of  coal  extending  a  distance  of  two  miles 


38 


ALASKA. 


upon  the  sides  of  the  mounlains,  each  of  them  being  several  feet 
thick.  Some  work  has  been  done  here  within  the  last  few  years 
and  government  vessels  have  experimented  with  the  coal,  but 
find  it  Contains  a  considerable  amount  of  ashes  and  clinker. 
Doubtless  when  a  greater  depth  is  reached  it  will  improve  in 
quality  North  of  Unga  i.sland,  about  ten  miles  inland  from 
Stepovak  ^ny.  is  a  trail  or  portage  about  ten  miles  long  leading 
to  Herendei  i  at  Port  Mollar,  on  the  Bering  sea  side.     An 

excellent  quail  '' coal  is  found  here  in  large  (juantities.  The 
Alaska  Commercial  Company,  the  principal  owners  of  the  mine, 
have  shipped  considerable  coal  to  their  station  at  Unalaska  ;  and 
its  quality,  both  for  steaming  and  house  purpo.ses,  is  found  to  be 
superior  to  that  found  at  Uiiga. 

Extensive  coal  fields  exist  at  Cape  Lisburne,  on  the  Arctic 
side,  extending  for  thirty  or  forty  miles  parallel  with  the  coast 
and  for  a  number  of  miles  back  into  the  interior.  It  is  of  a  lignite 
character,  and  the  government  vessels  Corv.'in  and  Thetis  have 
taken  coal  for  steaming  purposes  from  here,  and  have  found  an 
excess  of  ash  and  clinker,  which  .seems  to  be  the  general  fault 
with  all  coal  thus  far  discovered  in  Alaska.  Strong  indications 
of  petroleum  are  found  back  from  the  coast  a  few  miles,  in  this 
cold  Arctic  region,  and  also  between  Icy  bay  and  Cape  Yaktaga. 
On  the  North  Pacific  coast,  west  of  Yakutat  bay,  there  are  ex- 
tensive deposits  or  indications  of  petroleum.  Practically  all  the 
coal  u.sed  by  ves.sels  navigating  the  Alaskan  waters  and  in  the 
mills  and  towns  of  Alaska  is  brought  from  the  Puget  Sound 
country  and  British  Columbia.  It  is  bought  at  the  mines  for 
about  three  dollars  per  ton,  and  the  expense  of  shipping  to  the 
Southern  Alaska  ports  is  five  or  six  dollars  per  ton.  The  expen.se 
of  opening  up  a  coal  mine  is  .so  great  that  until  there  is  a  large 
demand  in  Alaska,  it  is  doubtful  if  any  of  the  mines  will  be 
worked. 


...^: 


east 

thos( 

twel 

ing 

a  fe 

mile 

cauj 

at 
opei 


beir 
and 

to  11 

salr 
too 


cloh 


eral  feet 
w  j'cars 
oal,  but 
clinker. 
)rove  in 
nd  from 
leading 
dc.  An 
s.  The 
le  mine, 
ca  ;  and 
lul  to  be 

e  Arctic 
he  coast 
a  lignite 
;ti.s  have 
found  an 
jral  fault 
dications 
in  this 
Vaktaga, 
i  are  ex- 
lyall  the 
id  in  the 
2t  Sound 
nines  for 
ng  to  the 
;  expense 
s  a  large 
3  will  be 


CHAPTER  V. 


r  IS  I  IK  R  IKS. 

"^^HE  fish  industry  of  Alaska 
is  destined  to  assume 
immense  proportions. 

Upon  the  authority  of 
Professor  Bean,  of  the  United 
States  Fish  Commission, 
more  than  one  hundred  va- 
rieties of  fish  are  found  in 
the  Alaskan  waters.  vSal- 
mon,  ranking  first  in  im- 
portance, is  found  in  great 
numbers  in  the  streams  from 
the  lowerextremity  of  South- 
east Alaska  to  the  Arctic  ocean.  The  most  favored  varieties  are 
tho.se  known  as  the  red  or  silver  salmon,  weighing  from  eight  to 
twelve  or  fifteen  pounds  each,  and  the  king  salmon  often  weigh- 
ing as  high  as  fifty  pounds.  The  latter  variety  is  found  only  in 
a  few  localities  in  Southeast  Alaska  and  in  the  Yukon,  many 
miles  above  its  mouth.  It  is  said  that  specimens  have  been 
caught  weighing  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds. 

The  first  salmon  cannery  in  Alaska  was  erected  in  1878,  and 
at  the  present  time  there  are  thirty-six,  most  of  them  are  in 
operation  each  .season. 

The  growth  of  this  industry  was  extremely  rapid,  canneries 
being  constructed  at  a  cost  of  from  fiftj-  thousand  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand  dollars  each.  Enormous  profits  gave  rise 
to  much  speculation,  but  it  was  found  that  the  supply  of  canned 
salmon  when  the  canneries  were  run  at  their  fullest  capacity  was 
too  great  for  the  demand. 

In  1892,  a  combination  or  trust  was  formed,  which  resulted  in 
closing  down  several  canneries,  but  the  owners  came  into  a  gen- 


!■ 


4o 


ALASKA, 


eral  pool  and  received  a  pro  rata  interest  in  the  proceeds  arising 
from  the  packs  of  the  canneries  in  operation.  Some  of  these  can- 
neries have  a  capacity  of  from  fortj-  thousand  to  sixty  thousand 
cases  each  year,  and  when  it  is  understood  that  a  single  case 
contains  four  dozen  one  pound  cans,  and  that  in  the  year  1SS9 
the  combined  pack  of  all  the  canneries  was  nearly  seven  hundred 
thousand  cases,  an  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  vast  number  of 
salmon  caught. 

It  is  unusual  for  more  than  one  establishment  to  be  found  on 
any  salmon  stream,  but  at  Karluk,  on  the  northwest  side  of 
Kadiak  island,  a  small  stream  not  exceeding  sixty  feet  wide  at 
its  mouth,  there  are  five  canneries,  and  the  salmon  seem  ine^ 
haustible.  The  river  at  its  mouth,  and  for  a  long  distance  out 
into  the  salt  water,  during  the  spawning  season,  when  the  salmon 
are  on  their  way  to  the  lakes  above  for  the  purpose  of  depositing 
their  eggs,  seems  to  be  fairly  swarming  with  these  fish.  They 
fill  the  water  to  such  extent  as  to  almost  dam  it  up,  and  those 
below,  in  their  eagerness  to  ascend  the  river,  crowd  those  on  top 
so  that  their  fins  and  part  of  their  body  are  exposed  to  view.  The 
first  season  I  behf^ld  the  sight  I  thought  an  appropriate  name 
would  be  the  "  River  of  Life." 

While  it  will  not  be  fair  to  charge  these  canning  companies 
with  being  directly  antagonistic  to  the  settlement  and  develop- 
ment of  Alaska,  it  is  true  that  their  influence  has  always  been 
exerted  in  that  direction.  It  has  been  the  practice  of  these  cor- 
porations to  bring  all  their  help  from  outside  the  territory.  Not 
only  are  their  fishermen  brought  from  the  Pacific  coast  States, 
but  the  entire  canning  force  —  and  each  establishmentemploys 
from  forty  to  seventy-five  men  —  are  Chinamen.  There  are  two 
exceptions,  however,  where  the  natives  do  most  of  the  work  of 
canning  salmon,  namely,  at  Klawak  and  New  McUakahtla. 

It  requires  no  special  skill  to  catch  salmon,  yet  it  has  been  the 
custom  of  these  canneries  to  bring  white  men  into  the  country  in 
the  spring,  for  the  purpose,  and  take  them  back  to  their  home 
when  the  fishing  season  ended.  It  has  been  also  the  practice  to 
pay  the  men  for  their  season's  work  after  they  have  reached 
their  homes,  thus,  not  only  taking  the  product  of  the  streams 
awaj'  without  paying  a  dollar  for  it,  but  depriving  the  territory 
of  the  benefit  resulting  from  the  labor  therein,  which  would  con- 
tribute in  no  small  way  to  the  sapport  and  upbuilding  of  the 
country.     If  these  industries  would  employ  white  men  altogether 


arising 
;se  can- 
oiisand 
le  case 
r  1SS9 
undred 
liber  of 


I 


it  woi 

selves 

idle. 

the  cc 

each  ■ 

each 

In 

are  u 

Fort 

they 

try  o 

nishe 

Sc 

heml 

mean 

donr 

notd 

T 

stric 

impc 

as  tc 

peric 

impc 

ueri( 

and 

to  u 

stru 

to  p 

1 

tion 

the 

was 

1 

nea: 

cha 

in  a 

ern 

sou 
isla 
In 


FISHKRIRS. 


41 


it  would  bring  into  the  country  many  who  might  identify  them- 
selves with  it  in  some  way,  during  the  months  the  canneries  are 
idle.  Again,  in  the  packing  of  salted  salmon,  the  interests  of 
the  country  are  not  considered.  Fully  seven  thousand  barrels, 
each  weighing  two  hundred  pounds,  are  prepared  for  the  market 
each  year. 

In  the  preparation  of  salmon  an  enormous  quantity  of  boxes 
are  used,  but  the  sawmills  of  the  territory  arc  not  patronized. 
For  the  material  is  imported  and  the  boxes  are  put  together  as 
they  are  needed,  though  they  might  be  manufactured  in  the  coiui- 
try  of  as  good  quality  of  timber,  at  less  cost,  than  they  are  fur- 
nished under  the  present  system. 

Southeast  Alaska  is  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  spruce, 
hemlock  and  cedar,  which  should  be  a  source  of  income  and  a 
means  of  employment  for  a  large  number  of  men,  but  it  is  lying 
dormant  because  one  of  the  great  industries  of  the  territory  does 
not  deem  it  proper  to  encourage  manufactures  within  its  borders. 

The  liberty  these  canneries  take  in  catching  fish  without  re- 
striction is  a  feature  of  tli's  subject  which  is  liable  to  be  of  great 
importance  to  the  people  who  will  in  time  inhabit  Alaska,  as  well 
as  to  the  many  thou.sands  of  natives,  who  have,  from  the  earliest 
periods,  subsisted  upon  fish  food.  Restriction  should  have  been 
imposed  upou  them  a  number  of  years  ago.  Some  of  the  can- 
neries have  erected  traps  at  the  mouths  of  the  different  streams, 
and  few  salmon  are  permitted  to  escape  It  will  not  be  difficult 
to  understand,  therefore,  that  in  a  few  years  streams  thus  ob- 
vStructed  must  become  exhausted,  unless  some  means  are  adopted 
to  prevent  this  wholesale  destruction. 

Two  years  ago  Congress  passed  a  bill  forbidding  the  construc- 
tion of  traps,  and  sending  oihcers  into  the  territory  to  execute 
the  law,  but  failing  to  make  an  appropriation,  of  course  the  law 
was  inoperative. 

Alaskan  codfi.sh  industry  promises  to  become  extensive  in  the 
near  future.  Cod  are  found  in  large  quantities  along  the  Aleutian 
chain  of  islands,  as  far  west  as  the  Alexandria  archipelago,  and 
in  a  general  way  they  may  be  said  to  exist  along  the  whole  south- 
ern coast  of  Alaska. 

In  the  vicinity  of  the  Kadiak  group  of  islands,  and  still  further 
.south  to  the  Simeonoff,  and  at  the  Sliumagin  group,  about  the 
islands  of  Magipopf  and  Unga,  cod  are  found  in  great  abundance. 
In  Bering  sea,  towards  the  lower  Siberian  shore,  they  are  also 


m 


MW 


I 


42  ALASKA. 

found  in  large  ([iiantities.  Two  San  Francisco  firms  are  the  only 
parties  engaged  in  the  catching  and  shipment  of  cod  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  but  they  seem  to  have  developed  the  business  sufficiently 
to  meet  the  demand,  for  they  have  a  number  of  vessels  each  season 
employed  in  the  traffic.  The  manner  of  fishing  is  usually  from 
dories.  The  fishermen  are  paid  at  the  rate  of  $25  for  every 
thousand  fish  caught,  and  they  are  to  measure  at  least  twenty- 
six  inches  in  length.  If  smaller  fish  are  accei)ted,  say  measuring 
from  twenty-four  to  twenty-six.  two  fish  are  counted  as  one.  So 
it  will  be  seen,  that  these  fish  are  caught  with  considerable  ease 
and  in  great  quantities,  in  order  to  pay  the  fishermen  $50  per 
month,  the  amount  they  expect  to  make  from  the  cruise. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  cod  ranks  tlie  halibut,  which  is 
found  in  vast  c|uantities  in  the  waters  of  the  inland  canal,  among 
the  more  shallow  waters  of  the  North  Pacific,  and  in  some  por- 
tions of  Bering  sea.  They  often  weigh  two  hundred  or  more 
pounds,  and  one  of  the  pleasures  of  tourists  is  catching  the.se  fish 
from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  while  lying  at  some  .station. 

The  halibut  is  a  .staple  article  of  diet,  both  fresh  and  dried, 
with  the  natives,  and  it  is  said  that  the  Alaskan  halibut  will 
compare  favorably,  if  thej'  do  not  excel,  those  caught  on  the 
Atlantic  coast. 

A  fishing  concern  in  Sitka  has  recently  put  up  a  limited 
amount  of  smoked  halibut,  and  it  has  proven  a  most  delicious 
article  of  food.  Very  little  effort  has  yet  been  made  to  force  the 
sale,  but  the  curing  of  halibut  in  this  way  may  ultimately  prove 
one  of  the  leading  industries  of  this  country. 

There  are  immense  schools  of  herring  in  most  of  the  inland 
waters  or  estuaries  of  Alaska,  and  they  too  form  an  important 
element  of  the  food  supply  of  the  natives.  The  greatest  supply 
is  found  at  Killi.snoo,  on  the  we.st  side  of  Admiralty  i.sland,  where, 
some  twelve  years  ago,  the  large.st  fish  oil  plant  in  the  world  was 
erected.  Herring  are  caught  by  means  of  seins,  and  a  single  haul 
of  twenty-five  hundred  barrels  has  been  taken.  After  the  oil  is 
pressed  from  the  fish,  the  refuse  is  put  up  as  a  fertilizer  and 
shipped,  principally  to  the  Sandwich  islands. 

The  oolikon  or  candle  fish  are  also  found  in  the  inland  chan- 
nels, and  in  some  localities  of  the  North  Pacific  coast  They  are 
a  species  of  smelt,  and  are  about  eight  inches  long  and  almost 
round.  They  are  .so  oily,  that  after  being  dried,  they  can  be 
lighted  and  will  burn  completely  up,  throwing  a  glare  like  a 


I'ISHHRIIvS. 


43 


candle,  as  their  name  implies.  The  natives  use  these  fish  in 
greater  numbers  perhaps  than  any  other  variety.  When  boiled, 
they  have  a  delicious  flavor  and  are  tender  and  delightfully 
sweet.  The  oil  is  considered  a  rare  delicacy  by  the  natives,  and 
quite  an  industry  is  carried  on  among  those  living  in  localities 
far  remote  from  this  fish  supply. 

Most  of  the  varieties  of  fish  found  on  the  Pacific  coast,  together 
with  clams,  mussels,  and  crabs,  are  found  in  great  abundance  in 
all  the  waters  of  Alaska,  but  oysters  do  not  exist,  probably  on 
account  of  the  low  temperature  of  the  water. 

The  species  of  whale  known  as  the  beluga  or  white  grampus 
is  native  in  the  deep  waters  and  has  been  known  to  ascend  some 
of  the  larger  rivers.  The  skin  of  this  mammal  is  employed  by 
the  natives  in  the  manufacture  of  rope,  straps  and  soles  of  boots. 

The  hair  seal  are  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  waters 
throughout  the  whole  territory,  and,  as  is  well  known,  constitute 
the  principal  food  supply  of  the  natives,  and  especially  is  this 
true  in  the  northern  waters.  They  delight  to  frequent  the  waters 
of  Glacier  bay,  and  the  natives  hunt  them  much  easier  among 
the  bergs  of  ice  than  in  the  waters  of  the  ocean.  A  white  cloth 
is  spread  over  the  bow  of  the  canoe,  giving  it  the  appearance  of 
a  piece  of  ice,  and  the  natives  dressed  in  jacket  and  hat  of  the 
same  material,  paddling  among  the  ice,  thus  they  are  often 
enabled  to  get  within  arms  length  of  their  prey  before  it  detects 
the  deception. 

The  walrus,  a  native  of  Bering  sea  and  the  Arctic,  travels  in 
herds,  and  in  the  long  days  of  si  mmer  may  be  seen  in  large 
numbers  lying  lazily  on  the  ice.  The  skin  of  this  animal  is  used 
by  the  natives  as  covering  for  their  boats,  and  the  tusks  are 
worked  up  into  implements  of  the  chase  and  hunt,  but  it  is  fast 
disappearing  before  civilization. 

Whale  are  found  in  all  the  deep  waters,  and  even  in  the  inland 
passages  they  may  be  seen  sporting.  It  is  not  uncommon  for 
schools  of  the  black  whale  to  be  seen  from  the  decks  of  the  tour- 
ist steamers.  While  they  cannot  be  properly  considered  as  one 
of  the  resources  of  Alaska,  still  in  the  northern  or  Arctic  region, 
they  have  formed  one  of  the  most  important  food  supplies  of  the 
natives,  but  they  are  now  becoming  scarce.  As  on  account  of  the 
high  price  of  bone,  whale  hunting  with  steam  vessels  has  been 
prosecuted  with  vigor,  and  in  a  few  years  they  are  destined  to 
become  extinct.  ^  .v  .  w 


44 


ALASKA. 


Upwards  of  seventy-five  vessels  are  now  eii);aj;ecl  in  the 
whaling  hnsiness,  and  they  nnist  penetrate  several  miles  above 
Bering  strait  before  they  encounter  any  of  them.  The  busines.s 
is  hazardous  and  great  risks  must  be  run.  In  the  summer  of 
1877  nearly  fifty  vessels  were  lost,  and  a  number  of  crews 
perished,  preferring  to  remain  on  the  vessels  rather  than  risk 
making  their  way  across  the  sea  to  land.  This  catastrophe  led 
the  government  to  establish  a  rescue  station  at  Point  Barrow,  the 
most  northern  point  of  Alaska,  which  is  provisioned  with  sup- 
plies sufficietit  to  last  one  hundred  men  a  year.  It  is  in  charge 
of  a  government  official  whose  duty  it  is  to  render  aid  and  succor 
to  shipwrecked  sailors. 


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c 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ROUTE   TO   THE    Yl'KON    RIVER. 


T^HE  head  of  steamboat  navigation  is  at  Ty-a,  at  the  extreme 
northern  point  of  what  i.s  known  as  the  Chilkoot  inlet  branch 
of  Lynn  canal.  The  distance  from  salt  water  to  the  lakes  or 
headwaters  of  the  Yukon  river,  on  the  other  side  of  the  movnitain 
range,  is  about  twenty -seven  miles. 

The  usual  place  for  laying  in  supplies  for  a  trip  into  the  in- 
terior is  at  Juneau,  where  the  route  to  the  gold  fields  of  the 
Yukon  maj'  be  .said  to  commence. 

The  quantity  of  supplies  must  be  determined  by  the  size  of 
one's  purse,  but  in  no  ca.se  .should  the  journey  be  attempted 
without  a  supply  sufficient  to  last  at  least  two  months.  The  fol- 
lowing list  is  about  the  a.s.sortment  one  needs:  Flour,  bacon, 
baking  powder,  beans,  dried  fruit,  desiccated  vegetables,  butter, 
sugar,  condensed  milk,  tea,  coffee,  salt,  pepper,  matches,  mus- 
tard, cooking  utensils,  dishes,  sheet-iron  stove,  woolen  blankets, 
rubber  blankets,  oilskin  bags,  tools  for  boat  building,  such  as 
jack-plane,  whipsaw,  draw-knife,  axe,  hatchet,  pocket  rule, 
uail.s,  oakum,  pitch,  rope,  mosquito  netting,  rubbc^-  boots,  snow 
glas.ses,  and  medicines. 

Ty-a  affords  the  last  opportunity  for  purrliasing  supplies 
for  several  hundred  miles.  This  point  may  be  reached  either  on 
the  mail  .steamer  to  Chilkat,  and  thence  by  .small  boat  to  T^'-a,  a 
journey  of  about  twenty-five  miles;  or  direct  from  Juneau  by 
small  sailing  craft  or  steamers  that  make  trips  as  often  as  there 
are  pas.sengers  to  carry. 

Miners  generally  employ  natives  to  pack  supplies  across  the 
mountain,  the  usual  charge  for  this  work  being  from  $12.00  to 
$14,00  per  one  hundred  pounds,  and  the  distance  is  about  twenty- 
seven  miles.  This  great  expense  renders  it  advisable  to  carry 
only  such  supplies  as  will  last  during  the  trip. 

For  many  years  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  have  had 


46 


ALASKA. 


trading  posts  at  Forty  Mile  and  other  points,  but  the  emigration 
has  been  so  great  within  the  past  three  years  that  a  new  company 
known  as  the  North  American  '^rading  and  Transportation  Com- 
pany, established  quarters  a  half  mile  north  of  Forty  Mile  called 
Fort  Cudahy,  and  the  competition  between  the  two  companies 
has  very  much  reduced  the  expense  of  living  in  the  interior. 

The  most  favorable  time  for  going  into  the  interior  is  before 
the  snow  melts  from  the  mountains,  which  does  not  occur  until 
about  the  middle  of  April.  The  abrupt  passages  and  what  is 
known  as  the  Summit,  are  better  accomplished  by  hauling  sup- 
plies on  .sleds.  After  the  summit  is  passed,  if  the  journey  is  con- 
tinued before  the  ice  breaks  up,  it  often  happens  that  long 
distances  may  be  made  by  m?ans  of  sails  raised  on  improvised 
masts  on  the  sled.  The  .sledge  should  be  about  seven  feet  four 
inches  long,  seven  inches  high  and  sixteen  inches  wide,  of  strong 
but  light  timber,  and  the  runners  shod  with  either  brass  or  steel, 
the  former  being  preferable,  because  the  sled  will  glide  over  the 
snow  more  smoothly  in  intensely  cold  weather,  while  steel  is 
inclined  to  grind  and  lug  very  much  as  if  it  were  being  hauled 
over  sand.  When  the  weather  is  cold,  if  water  is  taken  into  the 
mouth  and  held  a  moment,  then  blown  over  the  runner,  a  coating 
will  immediately  form,  and  if  this  process  is  repeated  when  it 
becomes  a  little  worn  off,  one  will  be  surprised  to  find  how  much 
smoother  and  easier  the  sled  will  draw.  It  is  preferable  to  u.se 
the  Eskimo  mode  of  making  sledges  for  Yukon  traveling.  They 
use  no  nails  or  bolts,  binding  the  joints  together  with  strong 
cords.  There  is  much  less  danger  in  breaking,  if  made  in  this 
way,  should  the  sled  be  overturned,  as  the  joints  will  yield  when 
thus  tied  together.  After  the  ice  has  disappeared  canoLs  are 
used  for  the  first  six  miles  after  leaving  Ty-a.  From  this  point 
the  route  lies  through  what  is  known  as  the  canyon,  t^uite  a 
steep  ascent  is  made  until  Sheep  Camp  is  reached.  Here  a  rest 
is  taken  to  await  favorable  weather  before  attempting  a  passage 
over  the  .summit,  about  eight  miles  further  up  the  rugged  .sides 
of  the  mountain,  and  the  mo.st  difficult  and  tedious  part  of  the 
journey.  From  the  summit  to  the  head  of  Lake  L,inderman,  nine 
miles  must  be  traveled.  It  is  down  grade,  and  practically  easy 
to  accomplish  with  snow  on  the  ground,  but  when  bare  it  is  quite 
difficult  on  account  of  rocks  and  bouldei.s.  This  portion  of  the 
route  is  easily  accomplished  by  following  the  canyon. 

L,ake  Linderman,  the  first  water  reached  after  passing  over 


ROUTE  TO  THE  YUKON  RIVER. 


47 


I 


-■:. 


the  suminit,  is  one  of  a  chain  of  lakes  and  streams  called  by  the 
miners  the  "headwaters  of  the  Yukon,"  though  British  authori- 
ties describe  them  as  the  headwaters  of  Lewis  river. 

The  timber  in  this  locality  is  sparse,  of  a  poor  (luality,  and 
suitable  only  for  rafts.  A  raft  should  be  constructed  in  a  manner 
that  will  afford  protection  from  water  a  foot  or  more  above  the 
sides,  otherwise  the  supplies  are  liable  to  be  damaged,  and  they 
should  be  carefully  enclosed  in  oilskin  sacks  at  the  outset  of  the 
journey. 

From  the  head  of  Lake  Linderman,  on  both  sides  to  Lake 
Bennett,  the  general  character  of  the  countrj-  is  mountainous, 
with  narrow  benches  skirting  the  shore.  The  distance  across 
Lake  Linderman  is  nearly  five  miles,  and  from  the  foot  of  this 
lake  about  fifty  yards  of  a  portage  is  made  of  the  one  mile  river 
to  Lake  Bennett,  because  this  stream  is  very  crooked  and  full  of 
rocks,  making  boat  pa.ssage  difficult  and  dangerous, 

At  the  head  of  Lake  Bennett,  there  are  high  mountains  on  both 
sides,  but  they  begin  to  flatten  out  toward  the  foot  of  the  lake. 
This  journey,  a  distance  of  twenty-four  miles,  may  be  continued 
by  a  raft  or  by  ascending  a  river,  small  in  size,  •  iiich  enters  the 
lake  from  the  west.  Here  timber  suitable  for  boat  building  is  to 
be  found.  The  right- hand  side  of  Lake  Bennett  should  be  fol- 
lowed until  Cariboo  crossing  is  reached.  At  this  crossing,  which 
is  really  the  connecting  water  between  Lake  Bennett  and  Lake 
Tagish,  for  a  distance  of  two  miles  a  trail  used  by  bands  of  cariboo 
can  be  traced  along  the  foothills,  hence  the  name.  From  Cariboo 
crossing  past  the  main  channel  to  head  of  Tagish  lake  keep  left- 
hand  shore  to  foot,  a  distance  of  nineteen  miles.  Lake  Mansh, 
or  Mud  lake,  is  connected  with  Tagish  lake  by  a  wide  river  with 
a  slow  current,  whose  banks  are  bordered  with  low-lying  slopes, 
timbered  by  cottonwood  and  white  spruce.  The  distance  is  six 
miles,  and  in  some  places  the  water  is  very  shallow.  The  trav- 
eler should  follow  the  left  bank  of  Lake  Marsh  into  the  river 
connecting  this  with  Lake  Le  Barge,  keeping  on  the  right-hand 
side,  to  the  head  of  the  canyon  twenty  five  miles  below.  If  a 
man  is  a  skillful  navigator  he  can  run  his  boat  through  the  can- 
yon a  distance  of  three-fourths  of  a  mile  and  land  on  the  right- 
hand  side.  If  not,  he  had  better  make  a  portage.  From  this 
point  he  .should  follow  the  left-hand  side  two  miles  to  the  head 
of  White  Horse  rapids,  and  land  on  the  left-hand  side.  Great 
caution  .should  be  exercised  in  reaching  the  point  where  the  land- 


T 


48 


ALASKA. 


U 
\< 
ill 
ii : 


iii 


ing  is  made  this  side  of  the  White  Horse.  Through  the  White 
Hor.se  one-half  mile,  in  a  low  stage  of  water,  the  boat  can  be 
dropped  with  a  line,  but  if  the  water  is  high,  a  portage  of  about 
one  hundred  yards  must  be  made,  and  on  the  last  pitch  of  the 
canyon  another  short  portage  of  about  one  hundred  feet  will  be 
necessary.  From  this  point  there  is  an  open  river  to  Lake  L,e 
Barge. 

From  the  head  to  the  foot  of  Lake  Le  Barge  is  a  distance  of 
about  thirty-one  miles  and  it  averages  five  miles  wide.  The  boat 
should  be  headed  right  straight  for  an  island  near  the  center  of 
the  lake  and,  if  the  weather  is  favorable,  cross  from  island  to  right- 
hand  side  of  lake.  From  the  i.sland,  the  traveler  should  cross  to 
the  left-hand  side  of  the  lake  if  windy,  and  it  is  better  to  follow 
close  to  the  shore.  From  the  foot  of  Lake  Le  Barge  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Hootalinqua  river,  about  thirty  miles,  the  water  is  very 
swift  with  many  rocks,  and  extreme  caution  should  be  observed 
in  navigating  this  portion  of  Thirty  Mile  river.  From  this 
point  it  is  clear  sailing  for  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  miles  to 
Five  Fingers,  .so-called  because  of  five  columns  of  rock  which 
partly  obstruct  the  river,  and  whose  outline  resemble  the  fingers 
of  the  human  hand.  Five  or  six  miles  before  reaching  Five 
Fingers,  the  current  becomes  much  swifter,  and  high  hills  hug 
the  shore.  The  right-hand  bank  should  be  followed  closely ; 
otherwise,  the  bend  curves  so  .sharply  that  Five  Fingers  would 
be  reached  and  a  landiug  could  not  be  effected.  This  landing 
should  be  made  twenty  yards  above  Five  Fingers  in  an  eddy, 
and  if  the  boat  is  heavily  loaded  it  should  be  lightened  before 
attempting  to  pa.ss.  The  run  should  then  be  made,  landing  on 
the  right-hand  side.  Following  the  right  hand  shore  all  the  way 
for  about  five  miles.  Rink  rapids,  one  and  a  half  miles  in  length 
(caused  by  a  chain  of  rocks  reaching  nearly  across  the  river),  are 
reached.  The  right  hand  side  or  east  .shore  must  be  followed 
closely  all  the  way.  From  this  point  the  river  is  easy  to  navigate 
to  its  mouth.  About  fifty-five  miles  Iielow  the  foot  of  Rink  rapids, 
old  Fort  Selkirk  is  reached.  It  is  situated  near  the  confluence  of 
Pelly  and  Lewis  rivers.  Here  a  trading  post  is  run  by  an  old- 
timer  named  Harper,  and  this  is  al.so  a  winter  port  for  steam- 
boats plying  on  the  Yukon  and  its  trilmtaries.  The  fort  was 
pillaged  and  burned  by  coast  Indians  in  1853,  and  ruins  of  what 
once  were  chimneys  only  being  .seen. 

From  old  Fort  Selkirk  the  river  has  a  uniform  width,  contains 


\ 


e  White 
can  be 
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L,ake  L,e 

stance  of 
The  boat 
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|he  tnouth 
r  is  very 
observed 
rom  this 
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ck  which 
e  fingers 
ling  Five 
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Vi'KON  Miners  Si.eddin(!  Over  Rovte. 

Winttr  It  Pond,   Photo,  Juniau,  Alaikt, 


ROUTE  TO  THE  YUKON  RIVER. 


49 


many  islands,  and  the  country  through  which  it  runs  is  well  tim- 
bered for  some  distance.  The  White  river,  a  large  stream  hav- 
ing a  ten  or  twelve  mile  current,  comes  roaring  down  from  the 
west  ninety-five  miles  from  Selkirk.  This  river  gets  it  name  from 
the  appearance  of  its  waters  which  are  of  a  muddy  white  hue. 
It  is  supposed  to  have  its  source  in  a  number  of  high  mountains 
and  lakes  to  the  west.  Near  its  source,  the  Indians  say,  there  is 
an  active  volcano  which  they  call  Smoky  Mountain. 

The  Yukon  rapidly  widens  after  being  joined  by  the  White 
river,  and  becomes  a  mile  wide,  i.slands  dot  its  surface  at  frequent 
intervals,  and  the  valley,  too,  becomes  broader  as  if  in  sympathy 
with  the  river.  Ten  miles  below  the  White,  the  Stewart  river 
enters  from  the  east.  Its  waters  dark  and  deep  are  bordered  by 
rugged  hills  which  here  and  there  assume  the  proportion  of 
mountains.  Miners  are  found  on  many  parts  of  this  river  and 
its  hundreds  of  miles  of  tributaries  and  gulches,  many  of  which 
are  unprospected      It  is  probably  four  hundred  miles  in  length. 

About  seventy  miles  below  the  mouth  of  Stewart  river,  Sixty 
Mile  creek,  the  next  place  of  note,  comes  in  from  the  west.  It 
has  a  trading  post  and  a  sawmill,  and  is  the  headquarters  of 
.some  five  score  miners  who  generally  spend  the  winter  months 
there.  It  has  a  swift  current,  and  is  filled  with  rapids,  and  is 
therefore  not  easy  of  ascent.  Below  Sixty  Mile  creek  the  Yukon 
becomes  placid  and  the  number  of  islands  increase.  The  valley 
narrows,  and  the  hills  become  more  abrupt,  while  on  every  hand 
abundant  evidence  of  quartz  croppings  can  be  obtained. 

The  next  stream  of  note  is  the  Forty  Mile  creek  which  flows 
into  the  Yukon  a  few  miles  west  of  the  boundary  line. 

At  the  J!'  ction  of  Forty  Mile  creek  with  the  Yukon,  is  located 
almo.s-t  wii  .n  the  shadow  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  the  Alaska  Com- 
mercial Company's  station,  Forty  Mile.  It  has  been  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  under  the  control  of  a  man  known  by  every  person 
who  has  passed  through  the  valley  of  the  Yukon  as  "Jack" 
McQuestion.  Of  marked  ability,  and  a  man  of  the  world,  he  has 
been  the  mainstay,  the  guide,  the  philosopher  and  friend  of  the 
miners,  and  is  held  by  them  in  high  esteem.  Many  an  unfortu- 
nate prospector  is  aided  by  him,  and  seldom  does  he  refuse  an 
appeal  for  credit.  A  genial,  friendly  dispo.sition,  with  a  heart 
"as  big  as  an  ox,"  he  is  ever  ready  to  extend  a  helping  hand, 

4 


50 


ALASKA. 


»■ 


lll^ 


and  all  that  is  necessary  to  get  a  supply  of  food  is  to  show  a 
disposition  to  work.  The  town  has  a  population  of  five  or  six 
hundred,  and  besides  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company's  store, 
which,  at  the  opening  of  the  season  carries  a  stock  of  goods 
valued  at  $125,000,  there  are  restaurants,  billiard  halls,  several 
saloons,  an  opera  house,  barber  shops,  and  the  town  boasts  of  the 
finest  residence  in  a  region  embracing  three  hundred  thousand 
square  miles  of  territory.  It  is  a  two-story  building  owned  by 
Joseph  Cooper,  an  old  Colorado  miner,  and  cost  $3,000. 

The  price  of  restaurant  board  is  $12  per  week,  and  whisky 
costs  $9  a  gallon,  or  fifty  cents  per  glass  over  the  bar.  "This 
town  on  the  Yukon,"  says  a  recent  writer,  "  is  an  ideal  '49  min- 
ing camp  ;  its  saloons,  gambling  houses,  concert  halls,  etc.,  give 
it  an  air  of  bustling  activity,  from  which,  however,  the  element 
of  outlawry  is  almost  entirely  eliminated.  Miners'  law  prevails, 
and  justice  is  fairly  and  impartially  administered.  The  entire 
Yukon  valley  bears  an  ei; viable  reputation  for  peace  and  mor- 
ality. Simple,  but  eflfective  self-adopted  rules  of  goverment 
are  found  amply  sufficient  to  insure  order,  and  they  are  universally 
respected." 

About  three-fourths  of  a  mile  below  Forty  Mile  post,  is  a  new 
and  enterprising  town  named  after  Cudahy,  so  well  known  through- 
out the  country  as  the  packer  of  meats,  and  who  is  a  member  of 
the  North  American  Transportation  and  Trading  Company,  bet- 
ter known  in  the  Yukon  valley  as  "  Captain  Healy's  Company." 
This  post  was  established  in  the  summer  of  1892.  In  size, 
population,  and  general  business  activity,  and  in  the  volume  of 
business  done,  it  is  a  duplicate  of  its  neighbor.  Captain  Healy  has 
established  a  number  of  posts  on  the  river  not  heretofore  covered 
by  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  these 
two  concerns  will  control,  for  a  long  time,  the  major  portion  of  the 
traffic  of  this  country.  Captain  Healy  is  one  of  the  best  known 
pioneers  of  Alaska,  having  established  and  done  a  large  business 
for  a  number  of  years,  principally  with  the  natives  at  the  head  of 
the  Chilkoot  arm  of  Lynn  canal,  where  he  established  the  trading 
post  known  as  Ty-a.  The  able  assistant  in  the  management  of 
Fort  Cudahy,  Mr.  Charles  Hamilton,  went  into  this  far  off  coun- 
try fre.sh  from  one  of  the  government  departments  at  Washington. 
In  the  fall  of  1892,  the  company's  river  boat  was  detained  by  ice 
at  Nulato,  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon.  It 
became  necessary  to  communicate  with  the  head  office  at  Chicago, 


I 


show  a 

i  or  six 

s  store, 

>f  goods 

several 

ts  of  the 

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whisky 
"This 

49  niin- 
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In  size, 
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ement  of 
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ed  by  ice 
kon.  It 
Chicago, 


Yukon  Minkks  I'acki.m;  Over  Kovtk. 

Winter  St  Pond,  Photo,  Juneau,  A'aika. 


and  ^ 

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remar 

credit 

the  cc 

land  t 

foUov 

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Al 

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This 
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I 
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Bel( 
thai 


ROUTE  TO  THK  YUKON  RIVKR. 


51 


and  Mr.  Hamilton  undertook  to  make  the  trip  the  whole  length 
of  this  river  with  dogs  ;  in  about  four  months  he  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  coast  at  the  head  of  Lynn  canal.  It  was  a  most 
remarkable  trip  ;  and  he  is  the  only  man  who  is  entitled  to  the 
credit  of  having, — as  a  newspaper  saw  fit  to  express  it, — "split 
the  continent  squarely  in  two."  The  next  spring  he  went  over- 
land to  Forty  Mile,  where  he  met  the  boat  on  its  up  trip,  and  the 
following  winter,  he  again  made  the  trip  to  the  coast,  traveling 
with  a  dog  sledge  all  the  way. 

About  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles  from  Forty  Mile,  to  the 
west,  the  Yukon  flats  are  encountered,  and  just  within  them  is 
located  a  new  mining  camp  called  Circle  City,  which  was  founded 
in  the  fall  of  1894.  It  is  the  distributing  point  for  the  vast 
regions  .surrounding  Birch  creek,  which  flows  into  the  Yukon 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  below.  Circle  City  has  been 
platted  into  streets,  and  a  recording  office  for  this  mining  district  is 
located  here.  Six  miles  westward  from  Circle  City  a  portage 
of  six  miles  carries  the  traveler  to  Birch  creek,  nearly  two 
hundred  miles  above  its  mouth. 

The  territory  drained  by  the  Yukon  river  in  every  direction, 
for  three  or  four  hundred  miles  in  this  region,  is  low  country, 
called  the  Yukon  flats.  These  flats,  whose  extent  is  not  known, 
are  supposed  b}'  miners  and  others  to  have  at  one  time  formed 
the  bed  of  a  vast  lake. 

The  principal  tributary  of  the  Yukon,  below  Birch  creek,  is 
the  Tanana  river,  probably  eight  hundred  miles  in  length,  and 
having  a  number  of  other  streams  of  considerable  size  flowing 
into  it.  The  Tatiana  drains  the  country  stretching  from  the  head 
of  the  river  and  the  Yukon,  to  the  White  river  on  the  south. 
This  river  has  been  very  .slightly  explored,  and  little  is  known 
of  it,  or  of  the  natives  who  inhabit  its  banks.  They  are,  how- 
ever, reported  !)y  the  few  venturesome  jirospectors  who  have 
made  their  way  wAo  this  section  to  be  rather  ill-disposed. 

Nuklukyeto  is  located  at  the  junction  of  the  Tozikakat  river 
with  the  Yukon,  vvhcrt  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  have  a 
trading  post  ^vhich  was  established  a  number  of  years  ago. 

About  five  hund'ed  and  fifty  miles  below  the  Tanana  the 
waters  of  the  Koyukuk  river  joins  the  Yukon  from  the  north. 
Below  the  Koyukuk  river,  the  only  streams  of  any  importance 
that  empty  into  the  Yukon  are  the  Inuoko,  coming  in  from  the 


Sa 


ALASKA. 


south,  and  the  Anvik,  about  thirty  miles  further  down,  which 
enters  from  the  north. 

The  only  station  at  which  the  ocean  steamers  land  having 
freight  or  passengers  for  the  upper  Yukon,  is  St.  Michael's. 
This  has  been  the  principal  trading  post  of  the  Alaska  Commer- 
cial Company,  and  the  outfitting  post  for  their  stations  on  the 
river,  for  the  past  twenty  years.  It  is  located  about  sixty  miles 
to  the  north  of  the  usual  entrance  to  the  Yukon,  on  what  is 
known  as  St.  Michael's  island. 

The  question  is  often  asked  why  a  location  for  a  town  Ins  not 
been  made  nearer  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  thus  obviating  the 
necessity  of  the  river  boats  steaming  out  into  the  open  waters  of 
Bering  sea  to  take  on  their  freight.  So  far  as  is  known,  there  is 
not  a  suitable  location  where  the  high  water,  on  the  breaking  up 
of  the  ice  in  the  river,  does  not  overflow.  The  Yukon  is  very 
shallow  at  its  mouths,  eight  feet  being  the  greatest  depth  found. 
The  ice  passes  out  of  the  Yukon,  and  leaves  it  free  for  naviga- 
tion, about  the  middle  of  June,  but  it  is  not  clear  for  an  approach 
to  St.  Michael's  until  several  days  later.  If  a  station  could  be 
located  within  easier  access  to  the  river,  it  would  afford  an 
opportunity  to  get  to  the  headwaters  earlier.  St.  Michael's  is, 
strictly  speaking,  a  native  town.  Aside  from  the  buildings  and 
store  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  and  the  residences  of 
its  employes,  a  church  building  and  the  residence  of  its  pas- 
tor, the  houses  and  residences  are  those  of  the  natives.  Enor- 
mous supplies  of  goods  are  shipped  here  every  year  for  the 
trading  posts  and  missions  on  the  river,  and  during  the  two 
months  at  the  opening  and  closing  of  the  season,  it  pre- 
sents an  air  of  bustle  and  business  activity  rarely  found  at  any  of 
the  frontier  Alaska  towns.  The  new  company,  known  as  the 
North  American  Transportation  and  Trading  Company,  are 
making  arrangements  to  build  warehouses  and  a  trading  post 
about  a  half  mile  south  of  the  old  town. 

The  Yukon  river  and  its  many  tributaries,  a  number  of  which 
can  be  navigated  by  light  draft  steamers  for  several  hundred 
miles,  traverse  an  empire.  The  Yukon  is  navigable  by  four 
hundred-ton  stern-wheel  boats,  drawing  four  feet  of  water,  for  a 
distance  of  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth,  or 
to  the  mouth  of  Pelly  river.  It  flows  into  Bering  .sea  through 
several  different  mouths,  that  farthest  north  being  nearly  one 
hundred  miles  distant  from  its  most  southern  artery.     Its  course 


.oiiiiner- 


YUKON 


MlNICKS  AND  NaTIVKS  I'ACKINC.   Ovi:R   RorTi;. 


Winter  St  Pond,   Photo,   Juneau,   Alaska. 


ROUTE  TO  THK  YUKON  RIVER. 


53 


is  westerly,  but  bends  north  to  the  Arctic  circle  when  about  mid- 
way across  the  territory.  At  the  junction  of  the  Felly  and  Lewis 
rivers  it  has  an  average  width  of  perhaps  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  until  it  reaches  Fort  Yukon,  where  it  is  about  eight  miles 
wide,  and  again  narrows  to  from  two  to  three  miles  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Koyukuk  river,  and  maintains  this  width  to  Koserefski, 
from  which  point  it  again  widens  to  eight  or  ten  miles,  and  car- 
ries this  width  towards  its  mouth,  then  flows  into  Bering  sea 
through  a  number  of  different  channels. 

The  navigable  tributaries  of  the  Yukon  for  small,  light-draft 
boats,  may  be  grouped  as  follows  :  The  Andreafski  for  fifty 
miles,  Sbagluk  slough  fifty  miles,  Innoko  fifty  miles,  Tanana 
three  hundred  miles,  Klanarchargut  twenty-five  miles,  Beaver 
creek  one  hundred  miles,  Birch  creek  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
Koyukuk  river  three  hundred  miles.  Porcupine  one  hundred 
miles,  Stewart  five  hundred  miles,  Pelly  fifty  miles,  and  the 
McMillan  two  hundred  miles. 

While  the  Yukon  is  navigable  for  a  distance  of  one  thousand 
eight  hundr^i  and  fifty  miles  with  a  four  hundred  ton  vessel,  a 
one  hundred  and  fifty  ton  steamer  with  powerful  machinery 
would  be  enabled  to  pass  through  Five  Fitigers  and  three  hun- 
dred miles  further  through  Hootalincjua  river  to  the  head  of  Tes- 
lin  lake. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE    vrKON   (lOLD   KIKLDS. 


m 


mm. 


(^OLD  was  first  discovered  iti  paying  quantities  in  the  Yukon 
basin  in  iSSi.  In  that  year  a  party  of  four  miners  crossed 
the  range  and  descended  the  Lewis  river  as  far  as  the  Big  Salmon 
river,  which  they  ascended  for  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles. 
Gold  was  found  on  all  of  its  bars,  many  of  which  paid  well.  In 
the  next  three  or  four  years  some  mining  was  done  on  the  Pelly 
and  Hootalinqua  rivers,  and,  in  1886,  gold  in  considerable  quan- 
tities was  found  at  Cassiar  bar  on  the  Stewart  river.  The  richest, 
by  the  way,  so  far  located  in  the  Yukon  country,  yielded  as  high 
as  one  hundred  dollars  per  day  to  each  man. 

As  early  as  i860  men  in  the  employ  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  are  reported  to  have  found  gold  in  the  Yukon  basin. 
Professor  Davidson  credits  George  Holt  as  being  the  first  white 
man  to  cross  the  coast  range.  A  confusion  exists  as  to  the  time 
of  Holt's  journey,  the  dates  being  variously  given  as  1872,  1874 
and  187S. 

Holt  went  down  the  chain  of  lakes  to  Lake  Marsh  or  Mud 
lake,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  and  then  followed  an  Indian  trail 
to  the  Hootalinqua  river,  where,  he  reported  upon  his  return,  he 
had  found  coar.sc  gold.  No  coarse  gold,  however,  has  since  been 
found  on  that  river,  but  the  liars  yield  large  (juantities  of  flour 
gold.  In  1880  Kdward  Bean  led  a  party  of  twenty-five  men  from 
Sitka  to  the  Hootalintjua  river,  but  met  with  indifferent  success. 
Other  parties  also  cros.sed  the  pass  during  the  same  year. 

The  Yukon  section  may  be  divided  into  three  divisions,  namely, 
the  upper  lying  entirely  within  Briti-sh  territory,  and  embracing 
the  White,  vStewart,  Pelly,  Lewis  and  Hootalinqua  rivers,  which 
together  form  the  headwaters  of  the  main  Yukon;  the  middle 
division  includes  Fort  Reliance  and  the  country  down  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Tauana  river;  the  lower  division  stretches  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Tauana  to  Norton  Sound  and  Bering  sea. 


«< 

r, 
O 


a 

K 
71 
ifi 

> 

tn 

H 
O 

a 

o 
o 


iSilll 


m 

m 

?i 

II 

THE  Yl'KON  GOLD  I'lELDS.  55 

It  is  in  the  middle  division  that  the  recent  discoveries  have 
been  made;  on  Forty  Mile,  Sixty  Mile,  Miller,  Glacier  and  Birch 
creek,  and  Koynkuk  river.  Forty  Mile  and  Sixty  Mile  creeks 
flow  into  the  Ynkon  from  the  west,  having  their  source  in  the 
Ratzel  mountains,  a  low,  intermediate  range  running  nearly 
parallel  to  the  Yukon,  and  forming  the  divide  between  the  Yukon 
and  Tanana  rivers.  The  streams  putting  into  the  Tanana  on 
the  west  side  of  this  range  have  not  yet  been  explored;  but  lower 
down,  along  the  banks  of  the  Tanana,  gold  in  paying  quantities 
has  been  found,  and  a  few  of  the  bars  worked.  Recent  estimates 
of  the  gold  output  from  the  middle  division  alone,  for  the  past 
year,  are  placed  at  $200,000;  while  from  $25,000  to  $50,000 
has  been  mined  in  the  upper  and  lower  divisions. 

Miller  creek,  one  of  the  richest  so  far  discovered  in  the  inte- 
rior, is  a  tributary  of  Sixty  Mile  creek,  entering  it  about  seventy 
miles  from  its  mouth.  It  is  about  seven  miles  long,  and  upwards 
of  fifty  mining  claims  have  been  located  there,  but  few  of  them 
have,  as  jet,  been  developed  to  any  considerable  extent.  Miners 
prospected  this  creek  at  various  times  for  several  years,  each 
time  abandoning  it  because  the  vast  accumulations  of  drift  found 
everywhere  made  it  unprofitable  to  work.  But,  in  1892,  pros- 
pecting again  began,  and  many  rich  strikes  were  made.  One 
claim  alone  yielding  $37,000  of  the  yellow  metal,  and  one  clean- 
up of  about  eleven  hundred  ounces  was  reported.  One  hundred 
and  twenty-five  miners  have  located  on  this  creek,  many  of  whom 
own  their  own  claims.  The  rate  of  wages  here  established  is  ten 
dollars  per  day,  which  is  the  usual  price  paid  in  all  the  camps. 

Glacier  creek  is  another  branch  of  Sixty  Mile  creek  being 
.separated  from  Miller  creek  about  three  miles,  and  runs  nearly 
parallel  with  it.  Claims  located  on  this  creek  and  prospected 
last  season,  promi.se  to  equal  in  richness  those  of  Miller  creek, 
and  rich  finds  have  been  reported  here  on  claims  abandoned  by 
prospectors  some  time  b  ?fore.  The  whole  creek  has  been  located, 
The  first  claims  were  located  the  middle  of  last  summer. 
The  gulch  is  nine  miles  in  length,  and  \aries  in  width  from 
a  mile  and  one-half  at  its  mouth  to  sixty  feet  at  the  head. 
The  prospects  on  Glacier  creek  are  even  better  than  those  on 
Miller  creek,  the  dirt  yielding  from  a  few  cents  to  four  dollars  to 
the  pan.     Mining  Recorder  Paddock,  of  Glacier  creek,  speaks  as 


56 


ALASKA. 


i 


follows  of  a  trip  made  in  the  dead  of  winter  from  Fortj-  Mile 
post:  "I  started  on  January  the  third  from  Forty  Mile  for 
Miller  creek,  distant  about  sixty-five  miles,  and  arrived  February 
27th.  The  cold  was  severe,  the  thermometer  ranging  from  forty- 
two  degrees  to  seventy-seven  degrees  below  zero,  compelling  me 
to  lie  in  camp  for  ten  days.  I  drew  a  sled  which  carried  my 
small  outfit,  and  meeting  many  steep  and  difficult  places  on  the 
route,  across  gulches  and  over  ridges,  I  was  compelled  on  several 
occasions  to  divide  my  load  and  take  it  in  sections." 

Another  creek,  distant  about  three  miles  from  Miller  creek, 
is  named  Bed  Rock,  but  as  yet  has  not  proved  very  promising 
as  a  mining  location. 

Indian  creek  flows  into  the  Yukon  about  thirty  miles  below 
Sixty  Mile  creek.  Plere  rich  gold  discoveries  were  reported  last 
year.  The  stream  is  rapid,  but  shallow,  but  prospectors  have 
a.scended  it  a  distance  of  over  one  hundred  miles. 

Forty  Mile  creek  is  more  familiarly  known  to  the  miners  of 
Alaska,  and  perhaps  to  the  people  at  large,  than  any  other  min- 
ing locality  in  the  territory.  Its  bars  have  yielded  large  returns, 
but  these  diggings  are  practically  abandoned  for  the  gulches  and 
ravines  that  furnish  coarser  gold.  It  is  about  two  hundred  miles 
long,  and  its  tributaries  are  numerous.  Entering  the  Yukon 
from  the  west,  it  drains  the  countrj'  lying  between  the  Yukon 
and  Tanana  rivers.  It  was  not  discovered  until  1887,  and  was 
the  scene  of  the  first  real  excitement  in  the  valley  of  the  Yukon. 
This  stream  enters  that  river  from  the  wast  in  about  sixty-four  de- 
grees north  latitude  and  about  one  hundred  and  forty-one  degrees 
west  longitude.  Its  mouth  is  in  Canadian  territory.  The  first  news 
of  gold  being  found  here  was  brought  to  the  coast  by  a  man 
named  Tom  Williams,  who  was  the  bearer  of  letters  to  "Jack  " 
McQuestion,  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company's  trading  post 
at  the  junction  of  Forty  Mile  creek  with  the  Yukon,  who  was 
then  in  San  Francisco,  advising  him  of  the  discovery,  and 
instructing  him  to  ship  in  a  larger  supply  of  provisions  in  antici- 
pation of  a  rush  to  the  new  Eldorado  the  following  .spring.  Wil- 
liams was  accompanied  by  an  Indian  boy  with  a  dog  team  and 
sled.  They  had  an  extremely  rough  trip  up  the  river.  It  was 
in  the  dead  of  winter  and  the  cold  was  inten.se.  Before  reaching 
Lake  Bennett  the  dogs  all  died  from  cold  and  exhaustion.  At 
the  summit  of  Chilkoot  pass  a  fearful  storm  arose,  and  the  strug- 
gling travelers  were  compelled  to  hastily  build  a  snow  hut  in 


ty  Mile 
*Iile  for 
ebruary 
n  forty- 

ing  me 
'iecl  my 
s  on  the 

several 

;r  creek, 
■oniising 

;s  below 
rted  last 
)rs  have 

niners  of 
her  mill- 
returns, 
ches  and 
red  miles 
e  Yukon 
e  Yukon 
and  was 
2  Yukon, 
-four  de- 
e  degrees 
Brst  news 
3y  a  man 
"Jack" 
ih\g  post 
who  was 
ery,  and 
In  antici- 
ig.  Wil- 
team  and 
It  was 
reaching 
ion.  At 
he  strug- 
w  hut  in 


whic 

only 

badb 

was 

the  3 

thro 

sixtt 

unti: 

his  1 

hitt 

I 

it  is 

lars 

sma 

ava 

hig' 

yet 

thr< 

the 
for 
ren 
aiK 
str 
otl: 
Yu 
Cil 
mi 
int 

Cl£ 

dl! 
dc 
pi 
fr« 

"1 
ui 
fo 
ai 

S( 

tl 


THE  YUKON  GOLD  FIELDS. 


57 


which  they  remained  ten  days,  living  on  a  little  dry  flour,  the 
only  thing  left  them  in  the  way  of  provisions.  Both  men  were 
badly  frost-bitten,  and  upon  attempting  to  resume  the  journey  it 
was  found  that  Williams  was  unable  to  travel.  Nothing  daunted, 
the  young  Indian  took  his  companion  on  his  back  and,  struggling 
through  drifts  and  blinding  snow,  succeeded  in  reaching  Ty-a, 
sixteen  miles  distant.  A  few  days  later  Williams  died,  but  not 
until  he  told  Captain  Heal}'  of  the  strike  at  Forty  Mile,  and  of 
his  mail  pouch  containing  his  letters  which  was  left  at  the  snow 
hut  at  the  summit,  where  it  was  afterward  recovered. 

In  the  following  spring  active  mining  operations  began,  and, 
it  is  estimated,  that  since  that  time  upwards  of  half  a  million  dol- 
lars in  gold  have  been  taken  out  of  Forty  Mile  creek,  and  the 
small  feeders  running  into  it.  On  Forty  Mile  nearly  all  the 
available  rich  ground  has  been  worked  out,  but  there  are  many 
high  bars  along  the  stream  known  to  be  rich,  which  have  not  as 
yet  been  touched,  because  of  the  difficulty  of  getting  water 
through  them,  and  the  frozen  condition  of  the  ground. 

Birch  creek,  the  .scene  of  the  latest  strikes  and  excitement  in 
the  Yukon  country,  runs  parallel  with  the  Yukon  on  the  west, 
for  over  three  hundred  miles,  and  as  elsewhere  related,  has  a 
remarkable  feature  of  a  portage  only  six  miles  across  between  this 
and  the  Yukon,  two  hundred  miles  above  its  confluence  with  that 
stream,  so  a  trip  by  water  by  one  terminal  of  the  portage  to  the 
other  involves  a  journey  of  four  hundred  miles.  Here  on  the 
Yukon  side  of  the  gateway  to  the  Birch  creek  mines,  is  Circle 
City,  and  at  the  clo.se  of  the  .season  last  fall,  fully  three  hundred 
miners  were  to  be  found  in  the  different  gulches,  many  of  whom 
intended  to  .spend  the  w-inter  drifting,  and  opening  up  their 
claims. 

Ned  Ayleward,  a  Birch  creek  miner,  in  describing  the  gold 
discoveries  there,  says  :  "'In  coarse  gold  I  got  as  high  as  .thirteen 
dollars  to  the  pan.  The  gold  is  like  pumpkin  .seeds,  but  some 
pieces  weigh  from  three  to  ten  dollars,  and  I  think  I  will  make 
from  forty  to  fifty  dollars  per  day,  when  I  have  my  claim  opened 
up.  In  prospecting,  I  would  get  from  fifteen  to  twenty  dollars, 
under  a  little  stone  on  bed  rock.  I  did  not  leave  Juneau  broke, 
for  in  that  ca.se  I  would  have  had  to  rustle  for  a  "grub  stake," 
and  in  all  probability  would  not  have  made  this  strike.  I  have 
seen  no  quartz  claims  here  that  amount  to  anything,  but  am  on 
the  look  out  for  them," 


5« 


ALASKA. 


i 


Here  arc*  extensive  auriferous  deposits,  and  the  creeks  and 
bars  adjacent  to  Birch  creek  have  been  more  or  less  thoroughly 
prospected,  with  the  result  that  this  section  bids  fair  to  become  a 
vigorous  gold-producing  rival  of  the  famed  Forty  Mile  district. 

One  of  the  principal  tributaries  to  Birch  creek  is  Crooked 
creek,  and  from  Circle  City  a  trail  leads  over  the  hills  to  the 
mines  on  Independence  and  Mastodon  creeks. 

On  Molymute,  a  branch  of  Birch  creek,  gold  was  first  dis- 
covered in  1S93,  and  since  that  time  it  has  been  found  on  tribu- 
tary streams.  Birch  creek  has  been  explored  for  upwards  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  the  entire  distance  is  filled 
with  rapids  and  canyons.  The  vSouth  Fork  drains  the  country 
lying  at  the  head  of  Seventy  Mile  creek.  Many  claims  were 
staked  off  last  year  at  Mastodon,  Independence,  and  other  streams 
flowing  into  Birch  creek.  These  claims  are  more  easily  worked 
than  elsewhere  on  the  Yukon  and  tributaries,  from  the  fact  that 
bedrock  appears  much  nearer  the  surface,  and  water  is  more 
easily  obtained.  Some  sixty  miles  below  Birch  creek  portage 
Preacher  creek  joins  the  main  stream.  This  creek  is  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  long.  It  has  been  prospected  but 
little,  and  not  much  is  known  of  it,  except  that  as  everywhere 
else  in  the  Yukon  basin,  gold  is  found.  The  headwaters  of  this 
creek  penetrate  a  country  whose  geological  formation  is  very 
peculiar,  showing  drift  and  disturbances  which  might  have  been 
caused  by  the  receding  of  waters  ages  ago. 

Three  years  ago  some  rich  gold  discoveries  were  made  on  the 
Koyukuk  river  which  were  prospected  vigorously  the  following 
year  with  good  results.  A  number  of  creeks,  namely.  North  Fork, 
Wild  creek,  vSouth  Fork,  and  Fish  creek,  have  also  been  pros- 
pected with  fairly  good  success,  but  no  extensive  deposits  have 
yet  been  found.  Gold  placer  mining  may  be  said  to  end  here,  as 
from  this  point  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon,  little  prospecting  has 
been  done.  Below  the  Koyukuk  river  the  only  streams  of  any 
importance  that  empty  into  the  Yukon,  are  the  Innoko  coming 
in  from  the  south,  and  the  Anvik  from  the  north,  about  thirty 
miles  further  down. 

Numerous  creeks  have  been  prospected  and  successfully 
worked  along  the  branches  of  the  Yukon  and  other  rivers,  some 
of  them  proving  very  rich  ;  and  during  the  past  two  years  richer 
and  more  extensive  deposits  of  gold  have  been  found  in  this 
country,  until  to-day,  the  interior  of  Alaska  is  believed  by  many 


1 


THK  Yl'KON  r.oi.l)  I'Ii;i,I).S.  19 

to  be  the  largest  placer  i. lining  district  on  this  continent.  V^ari- 
ous  estimates  have  been  made  of  the  amount  of  gold  taken  out 
in  the  past  two  years,  some  of  them  reaching  as  high  as  one  mil- 
lion dollars,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  more  than  half  that  amount  has 
been  found.  A  number  of  miners  have  taken  out  as  high  as 
$12,000  or  $15,000,  but,  with  few  exceptions,  the.se  amounts  were 
not  wa.shed  out  by  individual  miners,  but  by  the  combined  work 
of  .several  men. 

In  another  chapter  reference  is  made  to  the  climatic  conditions 
exi.sting  in  Alaska.  The  dilTerencc  in  climate  between  the  coast 
country  and  that  of  the  interior  is  very  marked.  .Ml  along  the 
Kusko{|uim  river,  during  the  summer  months,  there  is  an  ex- 
cessive fall  of  rain,  while  in  tht-  interior  it  is  very  dry.  Refer- 
ence has  also  been  made  to  the  condition  of  the  ground  in  the 
interior,  and  it  is  from  the  fact  that  the  frozen  earth  extends  to  a 
depth  of  many  feet  below  the  surface,  that  placer  mining  in  the 
interior  is  very  difficult. 

The  surface  of  the  ground  is  covered  with  moss  often  to  the 
depth  of  eighteen  inches,  and  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun  during  the 
long  days  of  summer  are  not  able  to  penetrate  sufficiently  to 
thaw  the  ground  underneath.  It  is  only  where  the  moss  is 
stripped,  and  the  bare  surface  is  reached  by  the  sun's  rays,  that 
it  thaws  to  any  extent.  This  method  is  often  resorted  to  by  the 
miners,  in  order  to  get  the  ground  in  readiness  for  their  sluicing 
work.  The  ice  does  not  usually  pass  out  of  the  Yukon  until 
the  first  or  middle  of  June,  but  when  it  starts,  it  goes  quickly, 
and  miners  are  soon  hard  at  work,  digging  into  the  bars  and 
working  their  sluices. 

As  early  as  the  middle  of  September  the  sun  becomes  so  low 
that  the  air  is  chilly,  and  in  a  few  days  ice  forms,  so  that  further 
working  of  the  ground  must  be  abandoned  until  the  following 
year. 

It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  although  one  cannot 
depend  upon  much  more  than  two  months  in  which  to  work  the 
ground,  yet,  from  about  the  middle  of  June  until  the  first  of 
August,  it  is  daylight,  and  the  sun  shines  almost  continually. 
Thus,  what  is  lost  in  the  length  of  the  season  is,  in  a  measure, 
made  up  in  the  length  of  the  day;  and,  if  a  man  can  stand  the 
severe  physical  strain  he  must  undergo,  he  can  put  many  more 
hours  in  here  than  in  placer  mining  camps  in  other  parts  of  the 
country;  and  if  his  claim  proves  sufficiently  rich  to  enable  him 


I     '    ; 
) 

h  V 


to  ALASKA. 

to  pay  for  hired  help,  darkness  never  interferes  with  work,  for 
by  running  two  or  three  shifts  each  day,  he  can  work  his  mine, 
and  have  daylight  to  do  it  in,  nearly  the  entire  season. 

The  complaint  has  always  been  made  by  miners,  in  the  Yukon, 
and  by  those  who  know  of  the  difficulties  that  beset  prospectors 
in  that  country,  that  several  months  in  the  year  are  lost,  and 
when  the  season  closes  nothing  can  be  done  but  while  away  the 
time  in  visiting  neighbors,  making  trips  to  the  native  settle- 
ments, or  in  hunting.  But  the  happy  thought  came  to  some 
one  to  .spend  some  of  the  time  in  summer  prospecting  and  finding 
favorable  locations;  and  in  the  winter  to  mak"  fires  upon  the 
surface,  thus  thawing  the  ground  until  bedrock  was  reached, 
then  to  drift  and  tunnel,  lifting  the  dirt  to  the  .surface,  and  piling 
it  up  so  that  when  spring  came,  and  water  was  to  be  had,  he 
could  wash  his  dirt  and  make  it  profitable.  The  last  .season 
closed  with  a  determination  on  the  part  of  many  to  carry  out  this 
method;  a  new  impetus  was  given  because  .several  miners  who 
had  tried  the  plan  the  year  previous  found  that  the  work  thus 
done  in  the  winter  was  not  a  useless  expenditure  of  time  and 
labor. 

The  largest  nugget  ever  found  on  the  Yukon  was  taken  out 
by  one  Conrad  Dahl,  and  was  found  iti  Franklyn  gulch  on  March 


Inch  Tiiick 


iV;  iNciiKs  Thick. 


!-iI/.K  AND  SHAl'K. 


26,  1894.     It  weighed  exactly  thirty  ounces  l)efore,  and  twenty- 
nine  and  forty-five  one  hundredth  ounces  after  being  melted  at 


im.' 


TlllC  CA.NVON,   YlKON    KlVKK. 


THE  YUKON  GOLD  FII-LDS. 


6i 


the  mint  in  San  Francisco.  Dahl  had  prospected  in  the  vicinity 
the  snmmer  before,  and  in  the  winter  thawed  the  sro"'"!  hy 
burning  wood  on  top,  and  continued  this  process  until  he  reached 
bedrock,  hauled  the  dirt  out,  and  washed  it  afterwards.  The 
nugget  brought  four  hundred  and  ninety-one  dollars  and  forty- 
ti  /e  cents. 

The  next  few  years  will  probably  determine  whether  there  are 
any  extensive  deposits  of  gold  quartz  in  the  interior  of  Alaska. 
Most  of  the  men  who  have  gone  into  the  interior  have  been  men 
of  very  limited  means,  and  the  expense  of  carrying  supplies  in 
from  the  coast  has  been  so  great  that  their  means  was  taxed  to 
the  utmo  :  to  land  at  the  scene  of  their  labors  with  food  sufficient 
to  last  them  a  single  season.  It  is  thus  seen  that  unless  a 
"  grub  stake,"  at  least,  is  made  before  winter  sets  in,  they  must 
go  hungry  or  return  to  civilization.  On  this  account  they  have 
not  spent  much  time  looking  for  cjuartz. 

Within  the  past  year  companies  have  been  formed  and  an 
effort  made  to  test  the  quaitz-bearing  capacity  of  this  country, 
with  a  very  reasonable  prospect  that  rich  and  valuable  ledges 
will  be  found.  It  is  fair  to  suppose  when  upon  nearly  every 
stream  and  creek  gold  is  found  in  greater  or  less  quantities,  that 
somewhere  in  the  mountains,  whatever  may  be  the  climatic  or 
other  conditions  that  dips,  've  the  ledges  and  turn  the  gold  loose 
upon  the  broad  level  of  the  low  lands,  there  must  be  rich  gold 
quartz.  There  a\'  instances,  and  not  a  few,  where  men  in  pros- 
pecting or  working  placer  mines,  have  come  across  boulders  or 
rocks  containing  gold,  but,  for  the  reasons  stated  above,  they 
were  not  able  to  expend  the  labor  necessary  to  follow  up  the 
"float." 

If  the  indications  of  the  placer  fields  mean  anything,  they 
suggest  that  the  interior  of  Alaska  is,  in  a  very  few  years,  des- 
tined to  become  a  great  center  of  quartz  mining. 

Those  who  have  not  had  personal  experience  in  placer  mining 
cannot  realize  the  fascination  which  is  always  with  one  engaged 
in  this  occupation.  It  is  a  healthful,  hopeful,  rugged  and  inde- 
pendent life.  The  placer  miner  goes  alone  into  the  mountain 
fastnesses  with  pick,  t-hovel  and  pan,  far  away  from  every  scene 
of  civilization.  He  feels  a  pride  in  picking  out  the  yellow  frag- 
ments, which  he  has  separated  from  the  dirt  by  dextrous  dipping, 
gradually  letting  the  gravel  run  out  with  the  water,  while  the 
yellow  deposits  settles  around  the  edge  and   gravitates  to  the 


63 


ALASKA. 


lir 


bottom  of  the  pan.  Hefore  vent'iring  upon  the  life,  he  is  naturally 
overcome  with  dread  of  .'Reparation  from  home  and  friend.s.  He 
realizes  that  he  is  to  he  deprived  of  the  pleasures  of  society;  per- 
haps he  is  leavinjf  a  loving  wife  and  children  behind,  but  when 
once  in  the  field  these  recollections  crowd  him  on  to  new  life  and 
spur  him  to  renewed  efTorts.  And  when,  perhaps,  he  has  secured 
his  treasure  and  returns  to  find  that  he  has  not  been  forgotten, 
life  seems  to  open  uj)  through  a  vista  of  years  a  new  and  happy 
existence.  In  no  place  on  eartli  can  you  find  .such  loyalty  to 
friends,  such  honor  among  men,  as  in  the  camp  of  the  miner. 
They  are  the  architects  of  their  own  laws,  and  executioners  as 
well.  Their  lives  develop  all  the  characteristics  that  go  to  make 
up  a  strong  nature,  and  the  dangers  with  which  they  come  in 
contact,  .school  them  to  bear  their  burdens  calmly  and  to  meet 
peril,  or  death  if  need  be,  with  fortitude. 


m 


1 


u  rally 

.     He 

;  per- 

t  when 

fe  and 

ecu red 

gotten, 

happy 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


LAND    ANJ)   SKA    ANIMALS. 


..is'.'y' 


^''^'^^^  /\LASKA,  in  a  peculiar  sense, 

is  the  home  of  fur-bearing 
animals.  It  abounds  in  "  fi.sh, 
flesh  and  fowl."  The  bays  and 
inlets  teem  with  a(|uatic  birds 
and  animals,  and  the  land  is  the 
home  of  the  bear,  wolf  deer, 
cariboo,  moose,  fox,  wolverine 
and  nianj'  others  widely  distri- 
l)uted. 

Earlj-  in  the  history  of  the 
•;';''[')  Russian  occupancy  of  Alaska, 
the  .sea  otter  .skin  trafiic,  which 
for  a  long  time  had  no  competitor,  l)egan  to  find  a  rival  of  mag- 
nitude in  the  fur  seal  trade. 

In  1786,  the  year  succeeding  the  discovery  of  the  Pribilof 
group  of  i.slands,  over  five  hundred  thou.sand  fur  seals  were  killed 
by  Russian  hunters,  and  the  figures  have  even  been  placed  as 
high  as  two  millions.  Whether  the  latter  figures  are  exagger- 
ated or  not,  it  is  true,  that  twenty  years  from  that  time,  the  fur 
seal  had  almost  entirely  disappeared  from  these  islands.  More 
than  half  of  the  skins  taken  on  the  Pribilof  i.slands  were  thrown 
into  the  .sea  in  an  advanced  stage  of  decomposition,  because  of 
careless  curing,  and  the  waters  were  so  poi.soned  as  to  drive 
away  the  seals  for  several  successive  seasons. 

Chine.se  merchants  trading  on  the  vSiberian  frontier,  placed  a 
high  value  upon  these  skins,  and  frequently  refused  to  exchange 
teas  with  the  Ru.ssian  traders  for  any  other  commodity.  When 
the  Russian-American  company  obtained  exclusive  control  of  the 
Russian  possessions  in  America,  the  fur  .seals  were  so  nearly 
destroyed  that,  for  a  time,  the  new  company's  traffic  was  quite 


li!  i 


64 


ALASKA. 


insignificant.  Prompt  and  efficient  remedy  was  at  once  applied, 
by  prohibiting  the  killing  of  .seals  for  five  j'ears,  from  1807  to 
1S12.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  the  .shy  animals  had 
returned,  sufficiently  recuperated  to  afford  a  continuous  and 
reliable  source  of  revenue. 

The  art  of  plucking  and  dying  seal  skins  was  invented  by  the 
Chinese.  The  exact  date  when  this  process  was  adopted  by  the 
English  is  unknown,  but  it  occurred  some  time  during  the  first 
half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  as  a  regular  demand  for  seal  skins 
can  be  traced  from  that  time.  Shipments,  directly  to  New  York 
and  London,  were  inaugurated  about  1850,  and  these  shipments 
continued  at  the  rate  of  from  twenty  thou.sand  to  sixty  thousand 
skins  per  annum,  until  the  transfer  of  the  Russian  possessions  to 
the  United  States. 

When  the  question  of  acquiring  Russian  America  was  dis- 
cussed in  Congress,  no  particular  stress  was  laid  upon  the  pros- 
pective value  of  the  fur  seal  industry,  though  it  was  known  to 
be  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  revenue  to  the  Russian-Ameri- 
can company.  During  the  last  decade  of  Ru.ssian  ownership  the 
agents  in  charge  of  the  Pribilof  islands  reported  each  year  that 
the  fur  seals  were  increasing  in  such  numbers  that  the  rookeries 
were  crowded  beyond  their  capacity.  Each  report  was  accom- 
panied by  urgent  requests  to  be  permitted  to  kill  more  seals,  to 
make  room  for  the  increasing  millions.  The  fact  that  it  was  pos- 
sible to  continue  the  .slaughter,  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred 
thousand  per  annum,  for  twenty  years  after  our  purchase,  seems 
to  prove  that  when  the  United  States  acquired  these  valuable 
islands,  the  industry  was  in  as  prosperous  condition  as  when  dis- 
covered by  Pribilof  in  1786. 

The  radical  restrictions  of  late  years  limiting  the  number  of 
seals  to  be  killed  annually  to  one  hundred  thousand,  were  based 
upon  careful  observations  and  estimates;  but  the  indiscriminate 
slaughter  inaugurated  within  the  past  few  years,  by  sealing  ves- 
.sels  from  British  Columbia,  which  encounter  the  migrating  ani- 
mals on  their  way  to  the  breeding  grounds,  and  kil'.  males  and 
females  alike,  has  fully  justified  the  still  more  radical  restrictions 
since  made. 

The  only  hauling  or  breeding  grounds  of  the  fur  sea!  known 
in  Ala.ska  are  upon  the  Islands  of  St.  Paul  and  St.  George. 
On  the  Otter  i.slands,  these  animals  occasionally  haul  up,  but 
do   not   breed.     The   Pacific  and    Antarctic   oceans   liave   been 


fij.. 


pplied, 
[807  to 
Is  had 
IS   and 


Ui 


scou 

supF 

day 

fined 

tions 

then 

then 

1 

beet 

Unci 

less 

indi 

hun 

fron 

rec€ 

exp 

botl 

Th« 

the: 


mtc 
tail 
kill 
ami 
clo 


seg 
s^rc 
nal 
Th 
dri 
vei 
([U; 
tw 
SUi 

an 

qn 

ag 

Re 
sh 


LAND  AND  SKA  ANIMALS. 


65 


scoured  by  sealers  and  emissaries  of  trading  firms,  in  search  of 
supposed  "winter  homes"  of  the  fur  seal;  but  at  the  present 
day  the  fact  seems  to  be  established,  that  after  leaving  their  con- 
fined breeditig  places,  they  scatter  over  the  broad  Pacific  to  loca- 
tions where  extensive  elevations  of  the  bottom  of  the  sea  enable 
them  to  subsist  upon  fish  until  the  instinct  of  reproduction  calls 
them  again,  from  all  directions,  to  their  connnon  rendezvous. 

The  killing  of  fur  seals  is  done  altogether  on  land,  and  has 
been  reduced,  through  long  obse'  vation  and  practice,  to  a  science. 
Under  the  present  lease  the  company  has  been  restricted  to  kill 
less  than  seven  thousand  five  hundred  each  year;  and  the  only 
individuals  permitted  to  do  the  work  are  the  able-bodied  Aleutian 
hunters,  now  living  on  the  islands,  whose  ancestors  were  brought 
from  the  Aleutian  islands  by  the  Russian  government.  They 
receive  forty  cents  per  seal.  Life-long  practice  has  made  them 
expert  in  using  their  huge  clubs  and  sharp  skinning  knives, 
both  instruments  being  manufactured  expressly  for  this  purpose. 
The.se  men  are  proud  of  their  skill  as  sealers,  and  will  not  demean 
themselves  by  doing  any  other  kind  of  work. 

The  labor  connected  with  the  killing  of  seals  may  be  divided 
into  two  distinct  jirocesses;  the  .separation  of  the  seals  of  a  cer- 
tain age  and  size  from  the  main  body  and  their  removal  to  the 
killing  ground;  and  the  final  process,  of  making  another  .sorting 
among  the  select,  and  killing  and  skinning  them.  A  damp, 
cloudy  day  is  especially  desirable  for  both  driving  and  killing. 

The  young  male  seals,  to  the  age  of  four  years,  invariablj' 
segregate  themselves,  in  the  rear  of  the  so-called  rookeries  —  or 
groups  of  families  —  that  line  the  sea  shore;  and  the  experienced 
native  crawls  in  between  the  families  and  tlie.se  "bachelors." 
This  is  accomplished  without  difficulty,  and  the  animals  are 
driven  inland,  in  droves  of  from  one  to  three  thousand  each, 
very  .slowly,  lest  the  animals  become  overheated  and  injure  the 
({ualit^'  of  their  skins.  When  the  .slaughter  ground  is  reached, 
twenty  or  thirty  .seals  are  .separated  from  their  fellows,  in  quick 
succession,  surrounded  by  their  executioners  armed  with  clubs, 
and  the  killing  begins.  The  experienced  eye  of  the  Aleut 
((uickly  discovers  if  the  seal  is  either  under  or  above  the  specified 
age  or  .size,  and  if  such  a  one  be  found,  he  is  dismissed,  with  a 
gentle  tap  on  the  nose,  and  allowed  to  make  his  way  to  the 
shore  and  escape. 

5 


66 


ALASKA, 


The  men  with  clubs  proceed  from  one  group  to  another, 
striking  the  seals  violently  on  the  nose  to  stun  them.  Others 
immediately  follow  with  long,  sharp  knives,  and  stab  each  stunned 
seal  to  the  heart,  to  insure  immediate  death.  Then  the  skinners 
come  and,  with  astonishing  rapidity,  divest  the  carcasses  of  their 
rich  and  valuable  covering,  leaving,  however,  the  head  and 
flippers  intact.  Carts,  drawn  by  mules,  follow  the  skinners,  and 
into  these  the  pelts  are  thrown  to  be  carried  away  to  the  salt 
houses,  and  salted  down  for  the  time  being,  like  fish  in  barrels. 
Later,  after  pressure  is  applied,  they  are  rolled  in  bundles  of  two 
each,  with  the  fur  inside,  securely  strapped,  and  are  theti  ready 
for  shipment.     The  wives  and  daughters  of  the  sealers  linger 


"" :i^fsE;; 


around  the  bloody  field  and  reap  a  rich  harvest  of  luscious  blub- 
ber, carrying  it  away  on  their  heads  and  shoulders,  the  oil  drip- 
ping down  over  their  faces  and  garments. 

The  sea  otter  seems  to  exist  chiefly  on  a  line  parallel  with  the 
Japanese  current,  from  the  coast  of  Japan  along  the  Kurile 
islands  to  the  coast  of  Kamchatka,  and  thence  westward  along 
the  Aleutian  chain,  the  southward  .'.ide  of  the  Alaska  peninsula, 
the  estuaries  of  Cook  inlet  and  Prince  William  sound,  thence 
eastward  ai:d  southward  along  the  Alaska  coast,  the  Alexander 
archipelago,  British  Columbia,  Washington  and  Oregon.  But 
it  is  becoming  scarcer  each  year,  owing  to  the  recklessness  with 
which  it  has  been  hunted  and  killed.  Three  distinct  times,  dur- 
ing the  existence  of  the  Russian-American  company,  their  agents 


otlier, 
)thers 
unned 
inners 
f  their 
(I  and 
s,  and 
le  salt 
)arrel.s. 
of  two 
ready 
linger 


LAND  ANM)  SIvA  ANIMALS 


«; 


ill  the  Kurilc  islands  liave  reported  tlie  sea  otter  extinct,  l)iit 
each  time  it  has  appeared  aj^ain,  after  a  few  years  respite  from 
hnntinJ,^  They  change  from  one  feedinj;  ground  to  anotlier. 
At  the  present  date,  about  the  Kurile  islands  and  Kamchatka, 
few  are  killed  ajnnially,  and  Attn  island  and  several  smaller 
islands,  which  formerly  furnished  many  hundred  sea  otter  skins 
every  year,  now  produce  less  than  a  dozen  skins  in  the  same 
time.  The  outlying  reefs  of  Atka,  also,  once  furnished  an  abun- 
dant supply  of  these  skins,  hut  are  now  entirely  deserted.  From 
the  Island  of  Unimak  eastward,  however,  sea  otter  has  become 
more  plentiful,  and  within  a  radius  of  fifty  miles  of  the  island, 
about  one  thousand  are  taken  annually.  Hut  the  hunting  is 
carried  on  recklessly  by  whites  and  natives  alike,  with  firearms, 
in  direct  violation  of  the  law.  They  are  still  found  in  the  waters 
of  the  Kadiak  archipelago,  as  well  as  in  the  southern  portion  of 
Cook  inlet. 

The  land  otter  is  one  of  the  mo.st  widely  distril)Uted  fur-bearing 
animals  in  Alaska,  unless  we  except  the  fox.  Its  skin  is  highly 
valued,  and  is  now  utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  an  imitation 
seal  skin.  The  land  otter  is  found  on  the  whole  coast  of  Alaska, 
from  the  southern  boundary  to  Norton  sound.  Within  the  Arctic 
circle  it  is  confined  to  the  upper  portions  of  the  rivers  emptying 
into  Kotzebue  sound  and  the  Arctic  ocean;  and  it  is  also  found 
along  the  whole  course  of  the  Yukon,  and,  as  far  as  known,  in 
nearly  all  parts  of  the  AIa.ska  per.insula,  the  Kadiak  archipelago, 
and  the  coast  from  Mt.  vSt.  Klias  to  the  southern  boundary. 

There  has  been  a  great  decline,  both  in  the  supply  and  demand 
for  beaver,  during  the  last  fifty  years.  Once  it  was  the  most 
important  among  the  fur-bearing  animals  of  continental  Alaska. 
This  animal  has  frequently  suffered  from  the  excessive  and  pro- 
longed cold  of  the  Arctic  winter,  in  the  interior  country  north  of 
Cook  inlet  and  the  Yukon.  The  ice  in  the  river  and  lakes  has 
formed  so  rapidly,  and  to  such  a  thickness  at  tim':'s,  that  the 
animals  found  it  impossible  to  keep  open  the  approaches  to  their 
dwellings  under  water,  and  died  of  starvation  before  spring. 
Hundreds  of  putrifying  carcasses  have  been  found  by  natives  in 
the  beaver  lodges.  Old  beaver  dams  scattered  over  the  conti- 
nental portion  of  AIa.ska  testify  to  the  former  abundance  of  the 
animal.  Though  now  huridreds  are  taken  where  formerly  thou- 
sands were  captured,  and  notwith.standing  the  demand  has  les- 
sened, the  supply  has  not  increased. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


<iP    MJ> 


L<>/ 


A 


f/j 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


112.8 


1132 


M 

M 

1= 
U    nil  1.6 


145 

1^   1^ 


V] 


V] 


7: 


>^ 


<? 


4 


'/ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  8724503 


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6^ 


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68 


At  ASKA. 


;■ 


'f 


When  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  were  lords  of  the  entire 
Northwest  American  continent,  the  skins  of  these  animals  repre- 
.sented  the  value  of  an  English  shilling,  and  were  used  and 
accepted  as  common  currency.  The  present  price  of  a  bea\er 
skin  of  average  size,  in  Alaska,  is  from  six  to  twelve  dollars. 
The  Indians  of  the  interior  and  a  few  of  the  Eskimo  tribes  look 
upon  the  flesh  of  the  beaver  as  a  great  delicacy.  It  is  a  dish 
which  they  always  set  before  honored  guests,  and  is  also  much 
used  in  festivities.  The  long  incisors  of  the  beaver  are  made 
into  chi.sels,  small  adzes  and  other  tools,  for  the  working  of  wood 
and  bone. 

The  brown  bear,  a  huge,  shaggy  animal,  is  found  in  nearly 
every  section  of  the  territory.  The  northern  limit  of  its  habitat 
is  about  sixty-.seven  degrees  north  latitude.  It  prefers  an  open, 
swampy  country  to  the  timber.  The  brown  bear  is  an  expert 
fisher,  and  during  the  salmon  season  it  frequents  all  the  rivers, 
and  their  tributaries,  emptying  into  Bering  sea  and  the  North 
Pacific.  At  the  end  of  the  annual  salmon  run,  it  retreats  to  the 
tundra,  where  berries  and  small  game  are  plentiful  This  ani- 
mal has  been  called  the  road-maker  of  Alaska,  for  not  only  are 
swampy  plains,  leading  to  the  easiest  fording  places  of  streams 
and  rivers,  intersected  by  his  paths,  but  the  hills  and  ridges  of 
mountains  are  also  marked  by  his  footsteps.  The  largest  speci- 
mens are  found  at  Cook  inlet.  On  its  west  side  they  can  be  seen 
in  herds  of  twenty  five  or  thirty.  From  the  fact  that  their  skins 
are  not  very  valuable,  and  also  that  they  are  of  a  fierce  disposi- 
tion, they  are  little  hunted.  Before  attempting  to  kill  one  the 
native  hunter  invariably  addresses  a  few  complimcntarj'  remarks 
.to  his  intended  victim. 

The  Thlinkits  have  a  tradition,  told  them  by  the  .shamans, 
that  the  brown  bear  is  a  man  who  has  assumed  the  shape  of  an 
animal.  The  tradition  relates  that  this  .secret  of  nature  first 
became  known  through  the  daughter  of  a  chief.  The  girl  went 
into  the  woods  to  gather  berries,  and  incautiously  spoke  in  terms 
of  ridicule  of  a  bear,  whose  traces  she  observed  in  her  path.  In 
punishment  for  her  levity,  she  was  decoyed  into  the  bear's  lair 
and  there  compelled  to  marry  him  and  assume  the  form  of  a  bear 
herself.  After  her  husband  and  her  ursine  child  had  been  killed 
by  her  Thlinkit  brethren,  .she  returned  to  her  home  in  her  former 
shape  and  related  her  adventures.  In  deference  to  this  generally 
received  superstition,  when  the  natives  nni  rcross  bear  tracks  in 


LAND  AND  SEA  ANIMALS. 


69 


the  woods,  they  immediately  say  the  most  charming  and  compli- 
mentary things  of  bears  in  general,  and  their  visitor  in  particidar. 

The  black  bear  generally  confines  himself  to  timber  and  moun- 
tain regions.  It  exists  on  a  few  islands  in  Prince  William 
sound,  and  on  Kadiak  island,  and  is  found  on  rivers  emptying 
into  the  Arctic,  and  is  plentiful  southward  to  the  valley  of  the 
Yukon.  The  skins  command  high  prices,  and  are  increasing  in 
value  yearly.  The  animals  are  shy,  and  great  skill  and  patience 
are  required  to  hunt  them.  Like  the  brown  bear,  they  are  expert 
fishers,  wading  into  the  streams  and,  as  a  salmon  comes  along, 
they  strike  with  dextrous  paw  and  land  their  fish  on  the  bank, 
where  it  furnishes  a  toothsome  feast.  Unlike  the  brown  bear, 
however,  the  ul  ives  do  not  fear  them  in  the  lea.st.  The  glossiest 
and  largest  of  black  bear  skins  come  from  the  St.  EHas  Alpine 
range  and  Prince  William  .sound,  but  the  black  bear  never 
attains  the  size  of  his  brown  relative. 

The  red  fox  is  found  in  every  section  of  Alaska.  In  fact,  this 
animal  seems  omnipresent.  It  varies  in  size  and  in  the  (juality 
of  its  fur  from  a  .specimen  as  large  as  the  high-priced  Siberian 
fire  fox,  to  the  small,  yellow-tinged  creature  that  rambles  fur- 
tively over  the  rocky  islands  of  the  Aleutian  chain.  Like  a  poor 
relation,  he  mingles  persistently  with  his  aristocratic  cousins, 
the  black  and  silver  foxes,  always  managing,  in  cour.se  of  time, 
to  deteriorate  the  blood  and  tarnish  the  coat  of  his  richer  rela- 
tive. His  diet  is  heterogenous,  fish,  flesh  and  fowl  being  equally 
.sati.sfactory  to  his  taste  ;  nor  does  he  disdain  shellfish,  mus.sels, 
or  the  eggs  of  aquatic  birds.  He  is  rarely  hunted  or  trapped  by 
the  natives,  from  the  fact  that  his  fur  is  cheap,  and  they  never 
eat  his  flesh,  except  when  driven  to  it  from  famine. 

The  king  of  the  vulpine  family  is  the  black  or  silver  fox.  In 
the  mountain  fastnesses  of  the  interior,  and  on  the  headwaters  of 
the  large  rivers,  he  is  found  in  his  prime.  He  is  of  large  size, 
with  long,  .soft,  silky  fur,  varying  in  color  from  the  silver  tint  to 
the  deep  jet  black,  the  latter  being  the  most  rare  and  highly 
prized.  They  are  found  along  the  boundaries  between  Alaska 
and  British  Columbia,  in  the  country  of  the  Chilkats,  the  Takus, 
the  upper  Copper  river,  upper  Yukon,  Tanana  and  Kuskoqnim 
rivers.  In  the  last  named  regions,  skins  may  be  bought  from 
ten  to  fifteen  dollars  each,  but  in  Southeast  Alaska,  where  com 
petition  is  strong,  forty  and  fifty  dollars  each  is  frequently  paid 
for  them.     Black  foxes,  of  an  inferior  quality,  are  found  on  the 


70 


ALASKA. 


sea  coast,  en  the  shores  of  Norton  souna,  ii  the  interior  of 
Kotzebue  sound,  along  the  Yukon,  and  on  the  Colville  river. 
They  are  quite  plentiful  on  Kadiak  island  and  most  of  the  Aleu- 
tian islands  ;  but  they  have  been  transported  by  man's  agency 
to  many  of  these  points. 

Along  the  southwestern  coast  there  are  many  islands,  removed 
from  the  shore  a  few  miles,  uninhabited  and  never  visited  by 
natives.  In  a  number  of  instances  white  men  have  gathered  a 
few  pairs  of  blue,  black  and  silver  foxes,  when  young,  from  the 
natives,  and  taken  them  to  the.se  islands  and  turned  them  adrift. 
They  arrange  with  the  natives  to  carry  food  to  them  at  stated 
periods,  and  they  become,  in  a  measure,  tame.  They  increa.se 
very  rapidly,  and  in  three  or  four  years  become  a  source  of  profit- 
able industry  for  the  projectors  of  the  enterprise.  On  the  seal 
islands  the  propagation  of  the  blue  fox  has  been  carried  on  for 
some  years,  only  a  certain  number  being  killed  each  year.  The 
blue  fox  was  first  discovered  on  the  Aleutian  islands  in  1741.  It 
has  been  protected  against  intermixture  with  other  and  inferior 
foxes,  aiid  the  .skins  are  of  the  finest  quality  and  command  a 
high  price  in  the  market. 

The  cross  fox  partakes  of  the  distingui.'^hing  qualities  of  both 
the  red  and  black,  and  is  evidently  the  result  of  unrestricted 
intermixture,  the  connecting  link  between  the  plebian  and  the 
patrician.  The  skin  of  the  cross  fox  is  valued  but  little  more 
than  the  red,  from  two  to  three  dollars  being  paid  for  the  best. 

Almost  the  only  high-priced  fur  found  in  the  Yukon  basin  is 
the  silver  fox,  and  it  forms  a  most  important  element  in  the  trade 
of  that  region. 

The  white  fox  is  found  along  the  continental  coast  of  Alaska, 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Kuskoquim  river  northward  to  Point  Bar- 
row. Its  fur  is  snowy  white,  soft  and  long,  but  is  not  durable  ; 
hence  it  does  not  command  a  high  price  in  the  market.  The 
white  fox  is  fearless,  and  will  enter  villages  and  dwellings  in 
search  of  food,  or  out  of  mere  curiosity.  It  will  eat  anything  to 
satisfy  hunger,  and  in  the  depth  of  winter  the  natives  find  it  un- 
safe to  leave  any  article  of  clothing,  dog  harness  or  boat  material 
where  the.se  thieving  little  animals  can  find  them. 

Mink  are  plentiful  on  the  coast,  but  not  on  the  islands,  except- 
ing those  of  Prince  William  sound.  They  are  also  abundant  on 
the  Yukon  and  many  other  rivers.     The  spell  of  fashion  has 


LAND  AND  vSEA  ANIMALS. 


71 


made  this  skin  of  but  little  value.  But  within  the  past  two  j-ears 
it  has  become  more  popular,  and  in  a  few  years  it  may  be  as 
fashionable  as  when,  a  score  or  more  years  ago,  it  was  the  pride 
of  every  woman  to  possess  a  cape  made  from  the  fur  of  these 
pretty  animals. 

The  polar  bear  is  found  only  on  the  Arctic  coast  where  there 
are  large  bodies  of  ice.  With  the  moving  ice  fields,  he  enters, 
and  leaves  the  waters  of  Bering  sea.  From  fifty  to  one  hundred 
of  these  animals  are  killed  yearly,  principally  by  the  natives.  It 
sometimes  happens,  when  a  whale  that  has  been  struck  by  a  har- 
poon and  not  killed,  in  time  dies  and  is  washed  ashore,  the  polar 
bears  will  come  from  all  directions,  drawn  by  the  scent  of  the 
carcass,  and  feed  on  the  blubber.  Natives  then  come  upon  them 
with  their  crude  weapons  and  slay  them  in  large  numbers. 

The  lynx  is  found  in  the  wooded  mountains,  and  wolves,  both 
grey  and  white,  are  plentiful,  but  rarely  killed. 

Muskrats  abound  all  over  Alaska,  and  rabbits  and  marmots 
are  killed  for  their  fie.sh  ;  the  natives  use  the  skins  of  the  former 
for  clothing.  Especially  is  this  true  in  the  Arctic  region,  as  the 
reindeer,  the  animal  that  formerly  supplied  them  with  skins  for 
clothing,  are  fast  disappearing. 

Wolverines  are  plentiful  on  the  upper  Yukon  and  the  lake 
sections.  The  skins  are  rarely  exported,  as  a  ready  market  is 
found  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  coast  region  of  the  Yukon 
and  Ku.skoquim,  who  prefer  this  shaggy,  piebald  fur  to  any  other 
trimming  for  their  wearing  apparel.  This  skin  is  very  highly 
prized  among  the  Eskimo,  as  it  serves  as  an  excellent  protection 
for  their  faces  against  the  severe  blasts,  when  sewed  around  their 
hoods. 

Deer  are  very  abundant,  especially  in  Southeast  Alaska, 
where,  in  winter,  they  are  recklessly  slaughtered  for  their  hides, 
when  driven  to  the  coast  by  long  contiiuied  snow.  So  reckless 
has  this  slaughter  become  that  there  is  great  danger  of  their 
being  exterminated,  unless  Congress  passes  a  law  prohibiting  the 
exportation  of  deer  hides  from  the  territory  for  a  number  of  years. 
Deer  form  a  large  supply  of  food  for  the  natives  of  Southeast 
Alaska;  and  the  wanton  manner  in  which  they  are  killed  bids 
fair  to  eliminate  a  food  product  of  vast  importance.  They  are 
hunted,  in  the  rutting  season,  by  a  call  made  from  a  blade  of 
grass  placed  between  two  strips  of  wood,  which  produces  a  very 


72 


ALASKA. 


I 


clever  imitation  of  the  cry  of  the  deer.  This  call  leads  them  to 
the  ambushed  hunter;  and  so  deceptive  is  it  that  it  is  not  unusual 
to  get  a  second  shot  should  the  first  fail.  The  wolves  play  great 
havoc  with  the  deer;  and  it  is  remarkable  that  they  exist  in  such 
numbers  among  so  many  ruthless  enemies. 

Moose,  cariboo  and  deer  are  found  in  the  upper  Yukon  coun- 
try, and  especially  on  the  White  river  moose  are  reported  by  the 
natives  to  be  plentiful,  and  of  large  size. 

The  deer  of  the  Arctic  and  sub- Arctic  regions  have  been  con- 
founded with  the  reindeer  of  other  localities.  While  they  cer- 
tainly belong  to  the  same  family  they  are  what  is  called  the 
barren  ground  cariboo,  which  differs  from  the  upland  cariboo 
and  domesticated  reindeer  in  being  smaller  in  body  and  horns. 

The  mountain  sheep  and  goat  are  found  along  the  highest 
mountains  of  the  coast  and  in  the  interior,  in  droves  of  twenty 
or  more.  They  seem  to  prefer  the  highest  altitudes  and  most 
precipitous  steeps.  Their  wool  is  long  and  fine,  and  when  nicely 
cleansed  and  tanned  makes  beautiful  rugs.  The  horns  of  the 
sheep  are  made  into  bowls  and  ladles  by  the  natives;  and  many 
rare  and  beautiful  pieces  worked  up  in  this  way  find  ready  pur- 
chasers in  tourists. 

Bald  and  gray  eagles  are  numerous  throughout  Southeast 
Alaska,  and  are  also  found,  to  some  extent,  in  the  interior  wher- 
ever there  is  large  timber.  The  natives  kill  them  in  large  num- 
bers and  pluck  the  feathers,  leaving  nothing  but  the  down. 
When  cleansed  the  .skins  are  sewn  together,  about  thirty  of  them 
being  required  to  make  a  robe,  which  is,  at  once,  rich  and  beau- 
tiful. 

Humming  birds,  in  large  numbers,  having  the  delicate  plum- 
age of  those  found  in  warmer  climates,  flit  from  bush  to  bush  in 
Southeast  Alaska.  Native  boys  tie  small  pieces  of  red  flannel 
on  a  limb,  and  cover  them  thinkly  with  pitch.  The  bright  color 
attracts  the  tiny  birds,  who  alight  on  the  flannel.  Their  little 
feet  adhere  so  tenaciously  to  the  pitch  that  they  cannot  extricate 
themselves,  so  they  become  an  easy  prey  to  the  youngsters  who 
trap  them,  only  to  worry  them  to  death  with  savage  cruelty. 

In  all  the  waters  of  Alaska,  whether  in  the  southeastern  coun- 
try, the  nterior,  or  Arctic  regions,  ducks  and  geese  in  every 
variety  are  found  in  vast  numbers  Alaska  appears  to  be  especi- 
ally adapted  as  a  natural  breeding  ground,     The  smaller  varieties 


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LAND  AND  SKA  ANIMAI.S. 


73 


of  land  and  timber  birds  are  as  numerous  as  the  water  fowl,  and 
the  graceful  swan  are  found  in  large  numbers  in  many  parts  of 
the  territory. 

In  Arctic  Alaska  the  disappearance  of  the  snow  and  ice  is 
immediately  followed  by  the  arrival  of  ])irds  from  the  south  in 
large  numbers,  and,  in  a  few  weeks,  the  Eskimo  revel  in  the 
variety  and  number  of  eggs  found  among  the  grass  and  tundra. 
Besides  the  wholesale  robbing  of  nests  for  eggs  the  young 
fledglings  are  eaten  by  the  Eskimos  with  a  keen  relish.  Their 
stay  is  brief,  however,  for  none,  save  the  most  hardly  of 
the  Arctic  birds,  remain  to  pass  the  long  months  of  winter  in  this 
region. 

It  may  be  interesting,  while  noting  some  of  the  resources  of 
Alaska,  to  mention  some  of  its  exports  since  the  United  States 
acquired  possession;  to  demonstrate  the  wisdom  of  the  purchase 
and  show  that  the  vast  and  varied  resources  of  our  great  north- 
ern possession  are  worthy  of  more  than  a  passing  word. 

In  t'  is  connection,  also,  it  may  be  interesting  to  refer  to 
executive  document  number  thirty-six,  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, .second  .session.  Forty-first  Congress,  1869,  which  is 
based  upon  the  report  of  a  special  agent  of  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment. 

It  says,  that  at  six  per  cent,  interest  on  the  .seven  million  two 
hundred  thousand  dollars  paid  for  the  territory,  together  with 
the  expense  of  maintaining  the  government  there,  would  amount 
in  twenty- five  years  to  the  .sum  of  fortj'-four  million  dollars. 
And  that,  with  the  most  liberal  estimate  of  income  from  the  fur 
seal  islands,  and  from  customs  duties,  an  amount  not  to  ej.ceed 
one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dollars  per  annum  conld  be  real- 
ized. And  from  no  other  source  but  a  most  extraordinary  con- 
dition of  circumstances,  such  as  the  discovery  of  large  deposits 
of  mineral,  could  any  material  increa.se  in  revenue  be  looked  for. 

The  agent's  estimate  of  the  revenue  was  as  erroneous  in  the 
matter  of  the  fur  seal  islands  as  in  other  directions.  For  from 
this  source  alone  there  has  been  paid  into  the  national  treasury 
nearly  nine  million  dollars. 

The  following  table,  carefully  compiled  from  official  records, 
will  show  how  far  the  ' '  extraordinary  circumstances  ' '  have  con- 
spired to  make  the  purchase  of  Alaska  not  only  a  shrewd  piece 


74  ALASKA. 

of  diplomatic  sagacity,  but  that  vSeward's  "ice  box"  has  proven 

a  most  profita])le  in\estment: 

I.'urK     -       - #5.^,000.00000 

Canned  salmon --  io.ooo.cxx)  0(3 

Whalebone io.ooo.ckx.  00 

Gold  and  silver 6,coo,ooo  00 

Whale  oil 3.000,(00  00 

Codfish — - — -     1.600,000  00 

Saltedsalmon 800,000  (w 

Ivory '^•°^.°° 

Total - - - -fS4,56o,ooo  00 


CHAPTKR  IX. 


TIIK    TOURIST    KorTK. 


'pHE  tourist  route  to  Alaska  extends  from  Seattle  to  Sitka,  atid 
lies  over  a  course  which,  for  nearly  twelve  hundred  miles, 
is  almost  entirely  through  narrow  channels  bordered  by  high 
mountains  that  completely  jjrcvent  the  sea  from  becoming  rough. 
If  an  occasional  glimpse  of  the  waters  of  the  North  Pacific  ocean 
were  not  obtained,  when  passing  from  the  shelter  of  one  island 
behind  the  precipitous  shores  of  another,  one  would  never  realize 
that  he  was  enjoying  all  the  pleasures  of  a  sea  voyage,  with  but 
few  of  the  discomforts. 

The  Pacific  Coa.st  Steamship  Company  of  San  Francisco,  ex- 
tended its  route  northward  to  this  country  some  ten  years  ago. 
And  upwards  of  five  thousand  tourists,  each  year  since,  have 
seen  an  endless  panorama  of  scenery  unfolded  to  their  view 
throughout  the  entire  distance. 

The  vessels  are  large,  comfortable  and  convenient,  and  the 
appointments  throughout,  are  especiall)'  adapted  for  the  sort 
of  trip  made  ;  and  every  facility  is  afforded  for  complete  enjoy- 
ment, and  every  opportunity  given  to  see  and  learn  all  there 
is  to  discover,  on  this  greatest  of  tourists'  routes 

A  semi-nionthlj'  mail  is  carried  by  the  Pacific  Coast  Steam- 
ship Company  to  the  different  points  on  this  route,  and  besides 
the  steamers  thus  employed,  the  palatial  steamer  "Queen," 
three  thousand  tons  burden,  having  accommodations  for  two 
hundred  and  fifty  first-class  passengers,  makes  semi-monthly 
trips  during  June,  July  and  August.  There  is  no  time  in  the 
year,  however,  when  communication  to  all  points  on  this  route 
is  not  made  regularly  twice  each  month,  but  during  December, 
January  and  February  a  single  steamer  only  is  necessary  to  take 
care  of  the  traffic. 

While  the  universal  verdict  of  those  who  are  so  fortunate  as  to 
be  able  to  take  a  trip  to  Alaska  is  that  it  is  one  round  of  charm- 


I 

I 

.  ''If 

i 


1 1 


n 


7« 


ALASKA. 


ing  surprises,  and  the  scenery  su;.erior  to  that  found  in  an\'  otlicr 
part  of  the  civilized  world,  the  great  secret  of  the  popularity 
of  the  Alaskan  trip  is  the  courteous  and  attentive  treatment 
received  frojn  the  employes.  The  masters  have  all  been  on  this 
route  for  many  years,  and  they  never  forget,  for  an  instant,  to 
afford  the  passengers  e\ery  opportunity  to  see  and  enjoy  to  the 
fullest  extent  all  sights  and  pleasures  possible. 

The  most  favorable  time  for  making  the  trip  is  from  the  first 
of  June  until  the  last  of  August  ;  yet  a  month  earlier  or  later 
presents  many  opportunities  for  enjoyment.  The  long  periods  of 
twilight  which  prevail  in  this  latitude,  in  the  spring  and  fall 
months,  strikes  one  as  strange,  and  a  better  view  is  often  afforded 
in  the  subdued  light  of  "  early  morn  and  dewy  eve." 

The  dry  subject  of  enumeration  of  the  articles  needed  on  this 
trip  may  be  abbreviated  by  the  simple  suggestion  that  one  should 
carry  such  articles  as  are  usually  needed  on  a  journey  of  two  or 
three  weeks,  being  careful  to  have  clothing  that  is  warm  and 
suitable  for  an  unusu   'ly  rainy  country. 

Seattle,  which  bears  the  illustrious  title  of  the  (Jueen  City  of 
the  Northwest,  is  situated  upon  an  indentation  of  Puget  sound, 
forming  a  perfect  harbor,  almost  circular  in  shape,  and  named 
Elliott  bay. 

It  is  a  substantial,  well-built  city,  having  a  population  of 
more  than  sixty  thousand,  and  it  presents  in  every  way,  the  air 
and  activity  of  a  live,  bustling  and  enterprising  city.  Although 
founded  'way  back  in  the  fifties,  the  real  growth  of  Seattle  dates 
from  1889,  when  the  entire  business  portion  of  the  city  was  laid 
in  ashes,  and  almost  every  vestige  of  the  early  uncouth,  ill-built 
town  was  swept  away. 

The  wooden  buildings  and  shacks  that  lined  the  biisiness 
streets  have  been  replaced  by  modern  brick  and  stone  blocks, 
elegant  in  construction  and  imposing  in  appearance.  The  city  is 
modern  in  every  respect.  It  has  a  magnificent  system  of  water 
works  and  sewers,  is  well  lighted  and  has  good  streets,  over 
which  there  is  a  complete  network  of  street  railways  reaching  to 
the  different  suburban  towns,  and  to  the  many  beautiful  parks 
and  lakeside  resorts,  for  which  the  city  is  justlj^  noted  and  which 
are  the  admiration  of  the  tourist. 

Lake  Washington,  the  pride  and  delight  of  Seattleites,  is  a 
beautiful  sheet  of  water,  lying  east  of  the  city,  about  twenty-five 
miles  long,  and  averaging  three  in  width.     Its  shores  are  dotted 


0 


r 
r 
n 

n 

B 
> 


0 
0 

a 


THE  TOURIST  ROUTE. 


77 


with  summer  residences,  and  its  bosom  bears  numberless  pleas- 
ure craft  of  varied  form  and  design,  while  many  steamers  ply  the 
lake  for  commercial  purposes.  The  lake  is  reached  by  four  I'ties 
of  street  railways,  two  cable  and  two  electric.  Adjoining  Lake 
Washington,  and  but  a  short  distance  north,  is  Lake  Union,  a 
smaller  but  fine  lake,  surrounded  by  pleasant  homes  ;  and  still 
another  beautiful  sheet  of  water  is  Green  lake,  northeast  of  the 
city.  All  of  these  lakes  contain  abundance  of  trout  and  other 
fish.  Sixty  miles  away,  to  the  .south,  snow-covered  Mt.  Rainier 
raises  its  lofty  head,  standing  hoary  and  magnificent,  it  over- 
looks the  great  inland  sea  called  Puget  Sound,  and  the  many 
cities  and  villages  that  thrive  upon  its  shores. 

Among  the  numerous  parks  within  easj'  distance  of  Seattle 
are  Ravenna,  Woodland,  Madrona,  Leschi,  Madison  Street  and 
Kinnear,  beautiful  natural  parks  to  which  art  has  leant  com- 
pkting  touches.  The  city  has  excellent  schools,  and  the  differ- 
ent religious  denominations  a.e  well  represented,  there  being 
fifty-six  places  of  worship  in  the  city.  There  are  also  two  opera 
houses;  the  Seattle  Theatre  is  one  of  the  finest  on  the  Pacific 
coast.  The  city  is  undoubtedly  the  commercial  metropolis  of  the 
northwest.  It  is  the  entrepot  for  an  immense  .stretch  of  country 
rich  in  lumber,  coal  and  other  natural  resources;  the  wonderful 
shipment  of  lumber  being  the  most  important  industr3\  although 
the  coal  business  is  large  and  steadilj'  growing.  Its  citizens  are 
enterprising,  and  the  unanimity  with  which  all  labor  for  the 
common  advancement  of  the  city's  interest  has  often  been  com- 
mented upon  with  praise. 

Tacoma,  called  by  its  citizens  the  "City  of  Destiny,"  is  situ- 
ated on  Commencement  Bay  thirty  miles  south  of  Seattle,  and  is 
a  point  often  vii^ited  by  tourists  en  route  to  Ala.ska.  Tacoma  is 
an  enteri'rising  city  of  some  forty-five  thousand  people,  and  has 
had  a  phenomenal  growth.  It  is  the  second  city  in  .size  and 
importance  in  the  State  and  is  modern  in  all  respects,  having 
many  busines'^  enterpises,  manufactures,  electric  and  cable  rail- 
ways, schools,  churches,  etc.  South  of  the  city  about  thirty 
miles  distant,  ri.se^i  Mt.  Rainier,  but  in  Tacoma  the  name 
"  Rainier  "  is  never  heard,  except  from  a  stranger  or  perhaps  a 
Seattle  man.  Here  it  is  lovingly  referred  to  as  "  Mt.  Tacoma," 
and  the  mountain  with  the  dual  name  has  been  for  years  the 
.source  of  much  good  natured  badinage  between  the  two  rival 
cities  of  Puget  Sound,  as  well  as  a  source  of  amusement  and 


78 


ALASKA. 


sometimes  of  perplexity  to  those  not  acquainted  with  the  con- 
tention over  the  name  of  the  grand  old  sentinel  which  overlooks 
the  great  inland  sea. 

A  journey  of  forty  miles  on  the  waters  of  Puget  Sound  brings 
the  vessel  to  its  first  stop  on  the  route  —  at  Port  Townsend  — 
having  a  population  of  thirty-five  hundred  peojile.  It  is  most 
picturesquely  located,  having  a  beautiful  harbor  with  water  of 
sufficient  width  and  depth  to  permit  the  largest  ocean  vessels  to 
sail  up  to  its  wharves.  The  business  portion  of  the  town  lies 
principally  along  the  water  front  and  the  residences  occupying  a 
level  plateau  fifty  feet  or  so  above,  affording  a  charming  view  of 
the  Sound  for  many  miles.  On  a  commanding  spot  is  a  beautiful 
stone  customs  building  just  completed  by  the  government  at  a 
cost  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  a  half  mile  further  to 
the  west  stands  a  strikingly  handsome  court  house.  This  is  the 
last  port  of  entry  in  United  States  territory  until  Alaska  is 
reached,  and  all  vessels  clear  here  before  starting  on  their  long 
voyage  to  the  north.  At  present  the  only  communication  with 
the  Puget  Sound  cities  is  by  several  lines  of  steamers  each  day, 
but  there  is  good  prospect  of  the  railroad  now  running  but  a 
score  or  so  miles  to  the  south  being  extended  so  as  to  afford 
direct  railroad  communication  with  Olympia  and  the  east. 

The  Alaska  boat  usually  takes  on  passengers  in  greater  or 
less  numbers  at  this  port,  discharging  also  freight  and  passen- 
gers for  San  Francisco,  on  its  return  voyage. 

A  delightful  ride  of  three  hours  across  the  Strait  of  Juan  de 
Fuca,  where  sometimes  a  little  motion  of  the  vessel  is  felt  should 
wind  blow  from  the  ocean,  seventy-five  miles  to  the  west,  brings 
us  to  Victoria,  where  a  wait  of  an  hour  or  so  affords  opportunity 
for  those  who  are  desirous  of  doing  so,  to  step  on  English  soil 
and  admire  the  handsome  buildings,  neat  gardens  and  grass  plats, 
and  observe  the  manners  of  acomnninity  whose  every  appearance 
stamps  them  as  wholly  and  es.sentially  linglish. 

Just  across  the  little  strip  of  water,  to  the  north,  the  staff 
bearing  aloft  the  British  flag  can  be  seen,  and  under  its  shadow 
small  squads  of  marines  are  distinguished  going  through  a  brief 
guard  maneuvre,  while  an  occasional  blast  from  a  bugle  echoes  a 
call  across  the  water  from  the  English  naval  station  of  the  north 
Pacific  at  Ivs<iuimalt. 

When  the  steamer  is  again  under  way  the  journey  to  Ala.ska 
really  begins,  and  the  steady  puffing  of  the  engine  and  the  vibra- 


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THE  TOURIST  ROUTE. 


79 


tion  of  the  ship  are  felt  for  three  clays,  while  the  six  huudred  and 
twenty-five  miles  before  reaching  the  first  i^topping  place  in 
Alaska,  twenty  miles  across  the  boundary,  are  traveled. 

It  is  not  unusual,  however,  for  the  steamer  to  put  in  at 
Nanairao,  a  town  about  sixty-five  miles  north  of  Victoria,  on 
the  east  side  of  Vancouver  island,  for  coal.  Extensive  deposits 
of  a  superior  qualitj-  of  bituminous  coal  are  here  located,  large 
quantities  of  which  are  shipped  to  vSan  Francisco  and  Alaska. 
About  two  thousand  men  are  employed  in  these  mines,  and  the 
coal  is  sold  at  three  dollars  per  ton.  Three  miles  north  of 
Nanaimo,  Departure  Bay  is  also  frequently  visited  for  coal  by 
Alaskan  steamers.  Vancouver  island  is  about  three  hundred 
miles  long  by  about  fifty  wide,  and  is  the  largest  of  the  many 
islands  on  the  coast  of  the  North  Pacific.  It  is  densely  wooded 
throughout,  and  its  sides  in  many  places  are  high  and  precipi- 
tous. The  dense  growth  of  timber  and  underbrush  is  inter- 
spersed with  many  little  streams  of  water  which,  flowing  down- 
ward, together  with  the  deep  indentations  extending  inland,  lend 
beauty  and  variety  to  the  scene. 

One  hundred  miles  through  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  between 
Vancouver  and  Valdez  islands,  the  narrow  pa.ss  —  Seymour  Nar- 
rows—  is  reached.  It  has  a  tremendous  current,  and  at  ebb  and 
flood  tide  is  a  veritable  maelstrom,  with  whose  swift  flowing 
waters  the  most  powerful  nmchinery  is  unable  to  cope.  At  low 
tide,  a  shattered  series  of  rocky  ledges  are  seen,  with  torrents  of 
water  rushing  between  and  over  them,  and  the  whirling  cauldron 
is  enough  to  strike  terror  to  the  heart  of  the  most  daring  navi- 
gator. The  passage  is  always  made  when  the  tide  is  nearly  full. 
The  captain  of  an  Alaskan  steamer,  on  one  occasion,  lost  con- 
trol of  his  vessel  here.  It  reeled  and  staggered  as  the  mad 
waters  lashed  against  its  sides,  and  sought  to  drag  it  into  the 
boiling  sea.  It  swept  around  in  the  torrent,  but  finally  drifted 
into  less  turbulent  waters  and  passed  through  without  encoun- 
tering any  damage. 

The  United  States  steamer  Saranac  was  wrecked  here  in  1S75. 
She  was  caught  in  the  rush  of  waters,  but  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  shore  of  Vancouver  island,  although  after  her  oiTicers  and 
crew  had  safely  landed,  she  was  drawn  into  the  whirlpool  and 
sank  out  of  sight.  The  United  States  steamer  Wachuset,  seven 
years  later,  had  an  exciting  experience  in  these  waters,  but  fin- 
ally stemmed  the  current  and  passed  out,  after  having  a  portion 


1 

1; 


Ho 


ALASKA. 


of  her  keel  swept  off  by  the  fierce  current.  Matij-  smaller  vessels 
were  partially  or  wholly  wrecked  before  the  dangers  of  these 
narrows  became  known. 

Johnstone  strait  for  fifty-five  miles,  and  Broughton  strait  for 
fifteen  miles  —  immediately  to  the  north  —  both  pass  between 
land  more  or  less  abrupt,  and  the  picturesque  scenery  encoun- 
tered before  Seymour  Narrows  is  reached,  is  again  presented. 
Johnstone  strait  opens  into  Queen  Charlotte  Sound,  which  for 
fifty  miles  presents  an  expanse  of  water  fifteen  miles  or  so  acro.ss, 
until  it  in  turn  meets  the  waters  of  Hecate  strait.  The  broad 
expanse  of  the  ocean  is  seen  only  while  the  ship  is  speeding  over 
the  thirty-five  miles  intervening,  before  she  enters  the  land- 
locked shores  of  Fitz-Hugh  Sound.  From  here  to  the  end  of  the 
inland  channel  at  Sitka,  with  the  exception  of  fifteen  miles  at 
Milbank  Sound,  where  in  a  south  wind,  and  again  at  Dixon  En- 
traiice,  the  water  may  become  rough  for  an  hour  or  so,  to  add, 
as  it  were,  a  little  spice  to  the  smooth  sailing  which  might  other- 
wise become  monotonous. 

Beginning  here,  the  route  is  one  continuous  chain  of  labyrin- 
thian  passages,  winding  hither  and  thither  through  narrow  de- 
files, with  mountains  rising  manj'  hundred  feet  on  both  sides, 
covered  from  base  to  peak  with  a  den.se  coat  of  fir,  whose  outline 
is  mirrored  in  the  water  below.  "The  Mystic  Maze"  would  be 
an  appropriate  name  to  apply  to  this  enchanted  route.  Oftimes 
the  prow  of  the  ship  is  headed  for  what  appears  to  be  a  moun- 
tainous barricade,  but  a  sudden  turn  reveals  a  continuation  of 
the  pathway,  and  an  outlet  to  endless  charming  nooks  and  glassy 
waters. 

The  first  glimpse  of  Ala.ska  after  emerging  from  Grenville 
channel,  into  the  waters  of  Chatham  sound  which  separates 
British,  from  American  territory,  is  Tongas  i.sland,  the  home  of 
a  tribe  of  natives  scarcely  numbering  three  score,  the  remnant  of 
a  once  numerous  tribe.  They  occupy  the  site  of  old  Fort  Ton- 
gas which,  during  the  first  eight  years  after  the  acquisition,  was 
the  headquarters  of  a  company  of  United  States  troops.  No 
opportunity  is  afforded  to  examine  the  country  in  this  vicinity 
save  from  the  deck  of  the  vessel.  Thirty -five  miles  farther  on 
Mary  Island  is  sighted.  The  steamer  blows  a  .shrill  whistle,  the 
speed  of  the  engine  is  slackened,  and  immediately,  the  stars  and 
stripes  are  hoisted  upon  the  staff  of  the  Custom  House.  As 
soon  as  the  anchor  is  lowered,  the  captain  goes  ashore  to  execute  ' 


The  Tukadwell  I<edge. 


THE  TOURIST  ROUTE. 


8i 


such  papers  as  are  necessary  to  comply  with  the  laws  and  enable 
the  vessel  to  proceed  northward.  At  this  station  a  deputy  col- 
lector is  taken  aboard,  who  makes  the  trip  to  Sitka  and  return, 
and  whose  business  it  is  to  see  that  no  whisky  or  other  contra- 
band goods  are  landed  or  taken  on  board  the  ship.  An  hour  is 
spent  here,  when  the  machinery  is  set  in  motion  and  the  vessel 
again  swings  on  its  course  towards  New  Metlakahtla.  This 
point  is  off  the  main  route  some  fifteen  miles,  so  it  is  only  when 
there  are  goods  to  be  discharged  that  the  vessel  pauses  at  one 
of  the  most  interesting  points  on  the  whole  journey.  An 
approach  to  New  Metlakahtla  shovs,  quietly  nestling  on  the 
side  of  a  gentle  slope  of  ground,  stretching  back  from  a  long 
pebbly  beach,  two  or  three  hundred  houses,  many  of  them  neatly 
painted,  with  a  church  edifice,  large  school  building,  store,  saw- 
mill and  salmon  canning  establishment.  There  is  nothing  about 
the  appearance  of  the  place,  until  the  faces  of  the  residents  are 
seen,  to  suggest  that  it  is  the  home  of  the  Chini-sy-an  tribe  of 
natives,  whom  Mr.  Duncan  brought  from  Old  Metlakahtla  a  few 
years  ago.  Every  branch  of  business  pursued  by  whites,  in 
towns  of  similar  size,  is  here  carried  on,  and  the  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  or  more  people  are  thrifty  and  contented.  In  the  chap- 
ter on  the  boundarj'  dispute  a  more  extended  reference  is  made 
to  Mr.  Duncan  and  the  people  whom  he  has  brought  from  the 
degradation  of  savagerj'  to  a  high  state  of  civilization. 

Retracing  its  course  to  Tongas  Narrows,  the  steamer  runs 
alongside  of  the  wharf  at  Ketchikan.  Six  years  ago  this  was 
the  site  of  a  salmon  c"nuery,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire.  It  is 
now  a  trading  post,  and  salmon  are  salted  in  large  numbers. 
Should  it  be  the  season  for  the  salmon  to  run,  the  little  stream 
which  flows  down  through  the  hills  to  the  east  of  the  village, 
will  be  literally  filled  with  the  humpback  variety.  Here  the  first 
postoffice  in  Alaska  is  found,  and  the  first  glimpse  of  the  Alaskan 
Indian,  in  his  native  state,  is  also  obtained  here. 

A  stop  of  an  hour,  and  the  steamer  is  ready  to  resume  its 
course  towards  Loring.  The  twenty-five  mile  distance  is  covered 
in  about  three  hours,  and  the  seat  of  what  was,  until  the  past 
three  years,  one  of  the  most  prolific  red  salmon  streams  in  all 
Alaska,  is  found  picturesquely  located  on  the  western  slope  of  a 
high  mountain.  For  a  number  of  years  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
thousand  cases  of  red  salmon  were  packed  each  year  by  this 
establishment,  but  a  system  of  trapping  prevailed  by  which  the 
6 


83 


ALASKA. 


fish  were  prevented  from  ascending  to  the  lake  above,  and  this 
has  very  nearly  exhausted  the  species.  The  pack  is  now  mostly 
of  the  humpback  variety.  Just  back  of  the  cannery  the  spark- 
ling waters  of  Naha.  falls  come  thundering  down  fifty  feet  or 
more,  and  are  considered  the  most  beautiful  of  the  many  encoun- 
tered along  the  tourist  route. 

At  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-ninth  day  of 
August,  1889,  the  side-wheel  steamer  Ancon,  which  had  for  sev- 
eral years  been  engaged  in  carrying  tourists  to  Alaska,  in 
attempting  to  swing  around,  settled  upon  a  reef  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  shore  and,  when  the  tide  receded,  broke  in  two  and 
became  a  total  wreck.  The  passengers  were  taken  on  their  jour- 
ney a  few  days  afterward  by  another  steamer.  The  accident  was 
the  means  of  affording  them  several  days  of  amusement,  which 
they  enjoyed  to  the  fullest  extent. 

From  Loring  to  Fort  Wrangel  about  ninety  miles  of  charming 
scenery  is  passed,  but  no  stop  is  made  in  that  interval.  Wrangel 
is  the  most  picturesque  as  well  as  largest  settlement  yet  visited. 
It  has  reached  the  phase  in  historj'  when  it  lives  only  in  the 
glory  of  ' '  by-gone  days. ' '  For  a  number  of  years  following  the 
purchase  of  Alaska,  it  was  the  winter  rendezvous  of  miners,  who 
were  taking  out  thousands  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars 
in  placer  gold,  at  Cassiar  and  other  British  northwest  territory 
mining  camps,  but  these  claims  becoming  exhausted,  the  life  and 
activity  of  Wrangel  also  disappeared,  until  to-day  a  half  hundred 
whites  and  two  or  three  hundred  natives  occupy,  with  few  excep- 
tions, the  same  log  buildings  that  were  erected  during  the  days 
when  gold  was  almost  as  plentiful  as  water.  Considerable  busi- 
ness, however,  is  done  here  to-day.  There  are  several  stores 
whose  customers  are  principally  natives,  with  whom  goods  are 
exchanged  for  furs;  a  large  sawmill;  a  bonded  warehouse, 
through  which  British  goods  must  pass  before  being  shipped 
into  the  territory,  up  the  Stikine  river,  four  miles  to  the  north- 
east; a  Presbyterian  church,  and  the  offices  of  the  United  States 
deputy  collector  and  commissioner.  Wrangel  pursues  the  even 
tenor  of  its  way,  apparently  satisfied  with  the  present,  and  with 
recollections  of  its  more  varied  past.  This  town  was  named  for 
Baron  Wrangel,  who,  in  1831,  was  the  Russian  governor.  Here 
he  constructed  a  fort,  and  his  troops  defeated  a  party  in  league 
with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  who  had  encroached  upon  his 
territory  to  traffic  with  the  natives.     Soon  after  our  acquisition 


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the  lort  was  >;arrisonecl  by  two  companies  of  I'liitcd  vStatcs  troops. 
The  arranj^^einent  of  the  plat,  with  l)arracks  and  officers'  (|uar- 
ters  standing  on  either  side  of  the  square,  gives  evidence  to-day 
of  the  time  it  was  occupied  by  these  representatives  of  the  Amer- 
ican army.  Troops  were  withdrawn  in  1.S70,  but  the  garrison 
was  again  occupied  by  sokliers  from  1875  to  1877,  when  all  the 
troops  were  permanently  withdrawn  from  Alaska. 

It  is  usual  for  steamers  going  north  to  remain  at  Wrangel  long 
enough  to  reach  the  entrance  to  Wrangel  Narrows,  twenty-five 
miles  north  at  high  tide.  This  is,  indeed,  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting portions  of  the  whole  trip.  The  passage  through  the 
Narrows  co'  ers  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles.  At  half  tide,  a 
hundred  ton  vessel  drawing  six  feet  of  water  could  not  make  the 
passage  on  account  of  ledges  of  rocks  and  boulders  stretclied 
across  the  whole  passage.  liard-a-port!  Starboard!  Steady! 
are  constantly  heard  from  the  captain  as  the  ocean  steamer  is 
turned  close  around  the  buoys,  that  locate  the  shallow  water  and 
hidden  reefs.  While  danger  need  not  be  apprehended  in  case  of 
accident  in  this  passage,  for  the  waters  do  not  surge  through 
with  the  force  that  causes  Seymour  Narrows  to  be  dreaded,  yet 
the  alertness  of  the  ofhcers,  and  the  caution  exercised  in  piloting 
the  steamer,  arrest  the  attention  of  the  passengers,  and  give  rise 
to  expressions  of  admiration  for  the  skill  of  the  mariners,  who 
have  charge  of  the  craft.  Upon  emerging  from  the  Narrows  a 
glimpse  of  the  first  glacier  of  any  note  is  had.  It  bears  the  name 
of  Patterson,  and  looms  six  thousand  feet  upward,  while  its  ser- 
pentine form  is  seen  winding  over  the  mountain,  and  is  finally 
eclipsed  by  the  towering  magnificence  of  the  Devil's  Thumb, 
pointing  h^'avenward  at  an  altitude  of  nine  thousand  feet.  This, 
too,  is  lost  to  view,  as  the  vessel  bears  westward  to  Cape  Fanshaw, 
where  the  course  is  straight  away  for  the  metropolis  of  Alaska, 
seventy  miles  distant  at  the  head  of  Gastineau  channel. 

On  the  right,  twelve  miles  before  reaching  Juneau,  Taku  inlet 
opens  into  the  channel.  It  is  one  of  the  favorite  points  of  inter- 
est for  tourists,  and  the  glaciers  winding  down  through  the 
mountains,  are  visible  for  a  long  distance  and  pour  into  the  inlet 
with  a  front  of  a  mile  or  more. 

The  Taku  river  leading  into  the  interior,  is  the  stream  Schwatka 
ascended  on  his  last  trip  into  Alaska,  in  the  spring  of  1891,  and 
it  is  from  the  head  of  canoe  navigation  on  this  river  that  a  party 
of  British  surveyors  made  explorations  during  the  past  winter 


84 


ALASKA. 


for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  practicability  of  constructing 
a  trail  into  the  interior. 

There  is  a  natural  route  from  this  river  to  the  Yukon  of  but 
ninety  miles  to  water  communication  on  the  inside,  but  about 
thirty  miles  of  that  distance  lies  through  a  low,  swampy  country, 
that  before  it  could  be  used,  as  a  route,  would  have  to  be  cordu- 
royed. 

The  town  of  Juneau  is  locp.ted  at  the  base  of  a  mountain  that 
rises  almost  perpendicularly  for  nearly  three  thousand  feet,  form- 
ing a  most  picturesque  background  to  this  little  city.  Juneau  is 
an  ideal  mining  camp.  Every  building  in  the  town,  and  every 
inhabitant,  bears  the  aspect  of  activity  and  prosperity  peculiar  to 
live  mining  camps.  It  has  but  few  streets,  and  they  are  crooked 
and  narrow. 

With  but  few  exceptions,  the  inhabitants  have  not  found  time 
to  clear  their  lots  of  the  stumps  or  gnarled  roots  that  litter,  as 
well  as  make  a  rustic  ornament  for  every  door  yard.  But  there 
are  a  number  of  handsome  residences  and  neat  business  houses; 
and  a  system  of  water  works  that  draws  its  su])ply  from  the 
purest  of  mountain  streams,  and  an  electric  light  plant  which  for 
four  months  of  the  year,  gives  way  to  the  brilliant  light  of  heaven's 
sun,  taking  its  turn  again  for  four  months  in  the  winter,  except- 
ing only  a  few  hours  at  mid-day. 

All  roads  lead  to  Rome,  it  is  said,  and  all  routes  in  Alaska 
lead  to  Juneau.  The  Yukon  miner  comes  here  to  outfit  for  his 
long  and  hazardous  trip  into  the  interior;  all  travelers  who  come 
to  Alaska,  whether  for  business  or  pleasure,  and  even  the  United 
States  Court,  if  in  session  at  Sitka,  the  capital,  comes  here  for 
nineteen-twentieths  of  its  jurors,  without  whom  it  could  not 
transact  bu.':iness.  Juneau  is  rightly  called  the  metropolis. 
Whether  she  will  retain  this  prestige  remains  to  be  .seen.  If  .so, 
one  of  two  things  must  occur.  vShe  must  plane  down  the  sides  of 
her  mountains  or  erect  sky-scraping  buildings  with  elevators  to 
accommodate  her  populace,  for  nearly  every  foot  of  available 
ground  is  already  occupied. 

The  population  of  Juneau  numbers  about  two  thousand 
souls;  and  the  enterprise  of  the  people,  and  volume  of  business, 
are  shown  by  the  support  given  to  the  three  newspapers  here 
published.  The  Mining-  Record,  the  oldest  paper  published  here, 
is  devoted  especially  to  the  mining  interests  of  the  country. 
The  Searchlight,  a  metropolitan-appearing  journal,   in  general 


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THE  TOURIST  ROUTE. 


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make-up  and  contents,  is  a  credit  to  the  city  and  its  enterprising 
proprietor.  The  Nczcs,  also  an  excellent  publication,  is  more 
local  in  its  character,  and  helps  to  make  a  trio  of  weekly  papers 
which  vie  with  each  other  in  the  publication  of  reliable  informa- 
tion concerning  this  great  territory. 

As  the  steamer  turns  in  its  course  from  the  metropolis  towards 
the  capital,  it  retraces  its  way  for  twelve  miles,  and  on  the  right, 
two  miles  from  Juneau,  passes  the  works  which  constitute  the 
great  Treadwell  mine.  Dense  columns  of  smoke  are  seen  issuing 
from  the  chlorination  works  which  are  here  burning  that  part  of 
the  ore  which  the  batteries  have  not  b<=>en  able  to  separate  from 
the  gold.  Its  poisonous  vapors  that  the  humid  atmosphere  has 
crowded  down  the  mountain  sides  have  bleached  the  timber  gi'ow- 
ing  there  almost  as  white  as  the  ragged  and  jagged  ledges  laid 
bare  by  the  incessant  explosions  of  dynamite  that  occur  in  this 
mine  day  and  night  from  one  year's  end  to  another. 

At  the  end  of  Douglas  island  the  ship's  prow  is  turned  north- 
ward towards  Lynn  canal;  but  which  arm  it  ascends,  whether 
Chilkoot  or  Chilkat  inlet,  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the  busi- 
ness calling  the  vessel  thither.  If  to  Chilkoot,  a  view  is  aiforded 
of  the  country  through  which  the  miner  starts  with  his  pack  over 
the  portage  of  twenty-eight  miles  to  the  headwaters  of  that  great 
river,  the  Yukon,  and  also,  upon  the  left-hand  side,  the  neat 
and  attractive  buildings  of  the  Presbyterian  mission  at  Haines. 

If  the  steamer  has  taken  the  Chilkat  inlet,  at  the  head  of  navi- 
gation, to  the  right-hand  is  the  town  of  Chilkat,  who.se  location 
is  marked  by  a  cannery,  store  and  a  few  other  buildings.  Fur- 
ther to  the  left  is  the  route  recently  located  by  Mr.  Jack  Dalton, 
who  has  discovered  a  way  into  the  interior  of  Alaska,  whence 
the  Yukon  river  may  be  reached  over  a  country  having  a  gradual 
ascent  and  de.scent,  with  no  high  mountains  to  interfere,  thus 
forming  a  natural  route  for  the  construction  of  a  railroad  into  the 
great  interior.  Everybody  but  the  projector  and  his  native 
employes  remains  yet  in  blissful  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  the 
country  passed  over.  But  it  is  certain  that  a  native  in  Dalton's 
employ  traveled  on  foot  all  the  way  from  the  Yukon  river  to 
Chilkat,  last  fall,  in  fourteen  days.  This  spring  Mr.  Dalton 
established  a  pack  tiain  over  this  route,  and  upwards  of  twenty 
horses  are  now  engaged  in  transporting  supplies  for^his  trading 
posts  in  the  interior. 


86 


ALASKA. 


As  the  ship  turns  about  to  resume  its  course,  Davidson  glacier 
appears  on  the  right.  This  is  the  first  good  view  of  a  glacier  yet 
had,  and  it  looks  as  if  a  mighty  river  winding  down  from  the 
mountain  had  suddenly  congealed  while  pouring  its  torrent  into 
the  sea  below.  Davidson  glacier  has  its  head  a  few  miles  to  the 
west,  and  is  a  spur  of  the  series  of  glaciers  that  form  the  frigid 
bulwarks  of  ice  in  Glacier  baj-,  whose  fronts  rise  perpendicularly 
from  the  water.  The  Davidson  glacier,  however,  slopes  gradu- 
ally down  leaving  a  moraine  covered  with  low  willow  and  alder 
trees. 

A  distance  of  sixty  miles  to  the  south  is  made  before  the 
ship's  course  is  changed  into  Icy  strait,  and  is  now  among  float- 
ing 'ice,  which  may  be  encountered  in  such  quantities  as  to 
impede  the  progress  of  the  ship  through  the  entrance  into  the 
bay.  The  prows  of  all  the  vessels  are  protected  with  heavy  tim- 
bers, and  one  experiences  the  shock  caused  by  the  crashing  of 
the  vessel  into  the  bergs  and  floating  ice  as  it  pursues  its  course. 
When  within  the  bay  it  is  in  a  sea  of  floating  ice,  dodging  its 
way  through  the  heavy  "pack"  past  Willoughby  island,  until 
it  comes  to  anchor  within  two  miles  of  the  front  of  the  celebrated 
Muir  glacier.  The  island  just  referred  to  is  named  after  Professor 
Willoughby,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  California.  As  a  boy 
he  was  in  the  vanguard  of  the  "forty-niners;"  picked  up  nug- 
gets as  large  as  walnuts  at  Suter's  mill  with  Marshall;  moved 
along  into  Fraser  river.  Cariboo  and  Cassiar  mining  camps;  and 
was  among  the  early  placer  miners  in  the  camps  of  Southeast 
Alaska.  He  piloted  the  first  vessel  into  Glacier  bay,  and  was 
there  when  Professor  Muir  made  his  first  investigation  of  the 
wonderful  river  of  ice  that  bears  his  name. 

Profes.sor  Willoughby  is  a  typical  frontiersman.  He  is  said 
to  have  made  more  extensive  explorations  in  Southeast  Alaska 
than  any  other  man,  and  to  have  found  more  good  mineral 
deposits  than  he  knows  what  to  do  with.  His  claims  on  Admir- 
alty island  are  among  the  most  promising  quartz  locations  in  the 
territory,  .ind  the  sale  of  this  property  will  probably  bring  him 
more  money  than  he  will  be  able  to  spend. 

My  finst  visit  to  Alaska,  in  the  spring  of  18S9,  was  in  the 
interest  of  newspapers.  I  was  looking  for  just  such  a  person  as 
Professor  Willoughby  to  furnish  me  information  about  the  coun- 
try. His  acquaintance  supplied  me  with  means  for  building  up 
a  series  of  letters  upon  a  subject  that  made  them  the  most  profit- 


Ckkvassu  on  Tup  oi-  Mlir  Glacikk. 

L»Roch8,  Photo,  S«attl«,  Wmh. 


THE  TOURIvST  ROUTE. 


87 


able  newspaper  articles  I  ever  wrote,  and  which  appeared  in 
many  of  the  leading  papers  of  the  countrj-,  The  "Silent  City  " 
of  Glacier  bay  helped  also  to  make  it  more  noted,  brought  thou- 
sands of  dollars  to  the  person  who  claimed  to  have  photographed 
a  "mirage  of  an  unknown  city,"  in  this  bay,  from  the  sale  of 
photographs  of  the  same,  and  caused  a  vast  amount  of  discussion 
on  the  subject  of  mirages.  Many  persons  pronounced  it  a 
"fake,"  others  a  good  joke,  while  some  looked  upon  it  in  the 
light  of  a  phenomenon  that  it  was  reasonable  should  occur,  on 
account  of  the  peculiar  condition  of  the  atmosphere  that  prevails 
in  this  locality. 

If  I  thought  the  story  a  monstrous  and  ridiculous  fake,  grati- 
tude to  the  man  who  furnished  me  with  the  sinews  from  which 
to  weave  the  interesting  tale,  would  prevent  my  denouncing  it 
as  such;  and,  if  I  knew  it  to  be  a  joke,  I  would  consider  it  the 
most  interesting,  as  well  as  the  least  harmless,  that  has  ever 
come  under  my  observation. 

Two  years  previous  to  my  arrival  at  Juneau,  Professor  Wil- 
loughby  had  been  exhibiting  a  negative  of  a  picture  which  he  said 
he  had  succeeded  in  taking  of  a  cit>-  which  appeared  above  the  face 
of  the  glacier  in  the  longest  days  of  each  year,  and  which  was 
brought  to  his  attention  by  the  natives,  who  called  it  the  silent 
cit}-.  He  procured  a  camera,  and  in  three  successive  years  made 
the  journey  in  a  canoe  with  natives,  and  each  time  was  able  to 
make  an  exposure,  but  the  plate  that  had  been  exposed  the  third 
year  proved  upon  development  to  be  the  only  one  that  contained 
a  picture  of  the  city.  It  was  a  weird-looking  negative  and,  con- 
templating it  while  the  professor  told  the  story  with  the  utmost 
earnestness  and  sincerity,  one  could  not  but  be  interested  and 
inclined  to  believe  it  to  be  true.  He  said  that  the  city  always 
appeared  as  if  suspended  in  the  air,  just  in  front  of  the  Fair- 
weather  range  of  mountains.  The  atmosphere  was  so  clear  that 
the  peaks  many  miles  to  the  north  were  distinctly  seen,  and 
every  ridge  and  wallow  and  curve  of  the  icy  crust  that  envel- 
oped them  could  not  have  been  more  clearly  defined  had  they 
been  but  a  stone's  throw  away.  That  while  asleep  in  his  tent 
one  morning,  a  native  called  to  him  excitedly  "to  get  up;"  and 
upon  looking  to  the  north  he  saw  a  strange  looking  object  hang- 
ing over  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  and  following  the  direction 
of  a  stream. or  glow  of  light  which  seemed  to  radiate  from  the 
range  squarely  down  upon  the  glaciers  at  the  head  of  the  bay. 


88  ALASKA. 

Gradually  it  became  more  distinct,  and  soon  assumed  the  appear- 
ance of  a  city  of  immense  proportions,  stretching  out  into  the 
distance  until  its  furthermost  limits  were  lost  to  view.  The 
style  of  architecture  was  new  to  him.  Buildings  of  massive 
dimensions  extended  in  solid  and  unbroken  blocks  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  The  solemn  walls  of  cathedrals  arose  almost 
to  the  skies,  and  his  imagination  reveled  in  silvery  music, 
chanted  to  a  chorus  of  tinkling  bells,  that  was  wafted  out  from 
the  frescoed  aisles  through  the  openings  of  gorgeously  painted 
windows.  The  entire  limits  of  the  city  were  confined  within  a 
halo  of  light,  dense,  yet  transparent,  pouring  its  soft  glow  upon 
roof  and  wall  and  window  in  glorious  transformation.  To  the 
right  and  left  a  range  of  mountains,  covered  with  the  garb  of 
winter,  formed  the  background.  The  tops  of  buildings,  and  the 
spires  of  churches,  appeared  to  pierce  its  ghostly  robes,  yet  not 
one  breath  of  their  chilled  presence  exiended  within  the  portals 
of  the  city.  Again,  he  seemed  to  hear  the  bells  from  the  steeples 
of  a  hundred  churches  ming!  .g  sweet  and  happy  melody;  yet, 
within  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  this  boundless  city,  not 
one  soul  could  be  seen.  Not  even  a  shadow  darkened  the  light 
for  an  instant.  All  was  silent  as  the  grave,  when  suddenly  the 
vision  began  to  move  away.  Its  glories  and  grandeur  lured  him 
with  a  fascination  which  he  could  not  resist.  But,  as  he  walked 
forward,  it  seemed  to  recede  with  even  pace.  Gradually,  though 
he  quickened  his  steps  to  get  within  the  silent  portals  before 
it  was  too  late,  it  was  wafted  into  space  and  finally  lost  to 
view. 

In  the  summer  of  1889  I  accompanied  Professor  Willoughby  to 
Glacier  bay,  and  spent  six  weeks  in  exploring  the  glaciers  and 
surrounding  country.  Anxious  to  see  the  spot  where  he  claimed 
to  have  witnessed  this  wonderful  sight,  although,  I  feel  free  to 
say,  I  did  not  live  in  very  high  expectations  of  gazing  upon  the 
silent  city.  One  day  we  ascended  the  side  of  a  mountain  to  a 
level  space  affording  a  glorious  view  of  the  whole  bay.  He  took 
me  to  a  pile  of  rocks,  laid  carefully  one  upon  another,  to  a  height 
of  perhaps  five  feet.  Slowly  he  commenced  to  throw  off  rock 
after  rock  until  an  opening  was  made  in  the  center,  and,  insert- 
ing his  arm,  he  drew  out  what  appeared  to  be  a  scroll  or  book 
made  from  several  leaves  of  birch  bark,  It  was  badly  mildewed, 
and  upon  unrolling  it  a  pencil  fell  to  the  ground.  The  half-dozen 
pages  looked  bright,  however,  and  contained  a  record  stating 


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THE  TOURIST  ROUTE. 


89 


that  the  object  of  three  trips  made  to  this  locality,  in  as  many 
different  years,  was  to  secure  a  photograph  of  the  city. 

During  the  six  weeks  I  .spent  with  Professor  Willoughby,  the 
relations  between  us,  in  camp  and  in  our  travels,  were  such  as 
to  encourage  an  exchange  of  confidences  on  many  subjects,  and 
although  the  subject  of  the  silent  city  and  mirages  was  often 
referred  to,  he  never  by  word  or  implication  gave  nie  any  reason 
to  think  that  his  story  was  other  than  a  true  one. 

The  city,  after  the  lap.se  of  some  time,  was  finally  identified 
as  Bristol,  England.  In  order  for  it  to  have  appeared  in  the 
manner  claimed,  it  must  have  been  reflected  a  distance  of  several 
thousand  miles. 

Words  can  scarcely  describe  the  awful  grandeur  of  Muir 
glacier,  whether  viewed  from  the  deck  of  a  ship  standing  close  to 
the  front,  which  extends  for  two  miles  across  and  towers  in 
scalloped  and  jagged  .surface  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  or 
while  walking  on  its  top  among  thousands  of  .seams  and  cre- 
vasses, which  descend  in  yawning  chasms  to  interminable  depths. 
Is  it  any  wonder  that,  when  gazing  at  this  spectacle,  one  is  lost 
in  awe  as  he  sees  a  solid  body  of  ice  winding  for  many  miles 
through  mountain  gorges,  breaking  off  in  irregular  blocks,  many 
of  them  a  hundred  feet  square,  and  tumbling  into  the  water 
below  ?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  crash  and  thundering  echo 
can  be  heard  for  miles  ?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  bottom  of 
this  grand  inland  sea  is  a  hundred  fathoms  or  more  deep,  when 
such  huge  sections  of  ice,  falling  from  dizzy  heights,  send  the 
spray  nearly  to  the  top  of  the  glacier  as  they  go  plowing  onward 
towards  the  sea  ? 

I  have  seen  a  single  block  of  ice  measuring  at  least  four  hun- 
dred feet  square,  with  forty  feet  extending  above  the  water, 
silently  moving  down  the  ^"y.  Fresh  water  ice  is  said  to  float 
with  seven-eighths  below  the  surface,  so  in  this  instance  the  berg 
must  have  been  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet  thick. 

Among  glaciers,  nature  is  seen  in  its  grandest,  most  awful 
and  sullen  mood.  The  continual  caving  leaves  the  glaciers  with 
lacerated  fronts  that  as.sume  the  shape  of  obelisks,  pinnacles  and 
turreted  roofs  of  castles,  set  with  a  background  of  blue  which, 
when  touched  with  the  rays  of  the  sun,  send  back  the  hues  of 
the  topaz,  diamond  and  sapphire  in  sparkling  scintillations. 

How  many  years  shall  elapse  before  the  last  of  the  glaciers 
disappears  from  the  bay  can  hardly  be  calculated,  but  they  are 


90 


ALASKA. 


slowly  receding  and  will,  before  many  years,  become  a  wonder 
of  the  past.  There  are  ten  other  living  glaciers  as  large  as  the 
Muir,  besides  a  number  of  smaller  ones  in  the  bay,  and  at  the 
extreme  northern  end  is  one  nearly  as  large  again  as  the  Muir. 
On  the  coast  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  west  from  Sitka,  the 
great  Malispina  glacier  presents  a  front  of  over  twenty-five  miles 
to  the  sea.  A  few  miles  further  west  they  almost  entirely  disap- 
pear, and  are  only  found  in  a  few  localities  just  back  from  the 
coast  in  the  interior. 

About  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  May  14th,  1889,  as  we 
were  approaching  Glacier  bay,  Captain  William  George,  pilot  of 
the  steamer  "George  W.  Elder,"  roused  me  from  a  sound  .slum- 
ber, to  come  out  and  .see  a  most  startling  sight.  I  dressed 
hurriedly,  and  iti  a  few  moments  was  standing  on  the  upper 
deck;  looking  straight  ahead,  I  could  .see  .snow-clad  peaks  tower- 
ing to  the  skies,  seemingly  rising  from  the  water's  edge.  The 
.sound  of  six  bells  had  just  died  away  when  the  sun  ro.se  above  the 
eastern  hori/on,  sending  a  shower  of  rays  acro.ss  the  water  and 
up  against  the  sides  of  the  Fairweather  range,  sixty  miles  away; 
the  highest  of  which  were  Crillon  16,000  feet,  Fairweather  15,000 
feet,  Lituya  11,000  feet,  and  Perouse  15,000  feet.  A  faint  line 
was  visible  extending  along  the  ba.se  of  the  mountains,  and  as 
our  ship  was  sailing  at  the  rate  of  eight  knots  per  hour,  the 
captain  told  me  to  make  the  best  of  my  opportunity,  for  the  awe- 
inspiring  monarchs  woi;Ul  ;  oon  disappear  from  view  behind  the 
mountains  at  their  feet.  Soon  I  began  to  realize  that  they  were 
fast  giving  way  to  the  turk  line  ahead  which  rose  higher  and 
higher  until  we  were  confronted  by  a  range  of  mountains  three 
thousand  feet  or  more  high,  standing  directly  across  our  path, 
and  nothing  was  left  of  the  imposing  spectacle  which,  but  a  short 
time  before,  greeted  my  eyes. 

The  following  lines  were  written  at  the  time  and  dedicated  to 
Captain  George,  for  his  kindness  in  aflFording  me  an  opportunity 
to  witness  the  grandest  sight  I  ever  beheld: 

High  up  from  out  the  waters, 

Far-reaching  to  the  sky, 
Grandly  from  the  mainland. 

Right  glorious  greet  the  eye. 
I'our  sharp-peaked  snowy  monarchs. 

Clothed  full  in  white  array, 
Fairweather's  three  companions  stand, 

To  hail  the  dawn  of  day. 


THE  TOURIST  ROUTK.  91 

I-'roiii  out  the  sullen  stillness, 

or  night's  lilenk,  wi/en  pall, 
These  nionaichs  stand  in  glory, 

Right  regal  uionarfhs  all. 
Their  hoary  heads  uplifted. 

Majestic  to  the  sky. 
And  at  their  feet  green  mountains  stand, 

Like  ])igniies  wondering  nigh. 

Three  thousand  feel  towards  the  sky. 

They  seek  to  look  above, 
Aiul  clothed  in  furry  coats  of  green. 

Are  bathed  in  tears  of  love. 
I'Voni  out  Fairweather's  frigid  eyes, 

Ki.ssed  by  the  sun's  .soft  rays. 
Love's  pearly  drops  increasing  fall, 

Through  ilays  and  years,  always. 

And  high  al)ove,  as  they  look  down, 

The.se  regal  forms  appear 
To  warn  and  say  "  no  farther  come. 

Vour  jiathway  leads  not  here. 
To  waters  deep,  your  sail  turn  back, 

Khe  in  our  shrouils  of  snow, 
Ve.stments  made  ready  for  the  .skies. 

We'll  mourn  in  cloiuls  of  woe." 

On  through  the  smooth  and  mirrored  brine. 

Our  ship  sails  swift  and  far. 
But  full  as  swift,  aye,  swifter  yet, 

Fairweather  sinks  his  star. 
Behind  the  green  hills  neat  and  wild, 

These  spectres  disappear. 
Nor  wait  to  heed  a  message  .sent. 

Though  words  of  joy  and  cheer. 

Come  back,  old  hoary  headed  kings! 

From  out  the  heavens  on  high ; 
Come  back,  and  show  your  snow-gemmed  crowns, 

To  our  enchanted  eye! 
Why  seek  ye  rest  beyond  the  clouds? 

Why  must  ye  hasten  on  ? 
What,  gone  so  .soon?  then  fare  ye  well, 

Lituya!     Perouse!     Crillon! ! 

The  day  speut  in  Glacier  bay  ends  only  too  quickly,  but  the 
ship  must  travel  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  further  before 
reaching  the  terminus  of  the  route,  at  Sitka.  Nearly  one  hun- 
dred miles  of  this  course  is  due  south,  then  the  ship  turns  to  feel 
its  way  for  thirty  miles  in  Peril  strait.     This  stretch  of  water  is, 


92 


ALASKA. 


as  the  name  implies,  a  difficult  and  dangerous  passage,  and  is 
attempted  only  in  pleasant  weather.  The  water  surges  and 
rushes  at  the  rate  of  six  or  eight  knots  an  hour,  and  like  Seymour 
Narrows,  is  run  only  at  high  slack,  or  between  that  and  high 
water.  Its  path  is  stiewn  with  rocks  and  reefs,  and  its  swiftest 
water  points  are  designated  as  Upper  and  Lower  rapids.  At 
least  two  officers  of  the  ship  are  always  on  the  bridge,  for  here, 
as  everywhere  throughout  the  long  journey  through  the  inland 
waters,  their  keen  vigilance  is  never  for  a  moment  relaxed. 

Twenty  miles  more  and  the  booming  of  the  cannon  from  the 
deck  of  the  steamer  warns  the  passengers  that  another  port  is 
reached.  Its  sullen  roar  echoes  among  the  hills  and  announces 
to  the  inhabitants  that  another  ".steamer  day"  is  at  hand. 
Another  messenger  from  civilization  has  knocked  at  their  doors, 
bringing  anxiously  looked-for  tidings  from  home  and  friends  to 
those  who,  from  choice  or  circumstance,  have  found  an  abiding 
place  upon  our  most  remote  frontier. 

Sitka  became  the  capital  of  Russian-America  under  the  admin- 
istration of  Alexander  BaranofF,  who  served  as  governor  of  the 
Russian  colonies  from  July  27th,  1791,  until  January  nth,  1818, 
his  predece,ssor,  the  first  governor,  having  served  from  August 
3rd,  1784,  until  July  the  27th,  1791.  The  .seat  of  government  at 
that  time  was  at  Kadiak,  Kadiak  island,  five  hundred  miles  west 
of  Sitka. 

The  especial  point  upon  which  the  interest  of  the  tourist  cen- 
tered, in  Sitka,  was  Baranoff  castle,  built  by  the  governor  in 
1813.  It  was  situated  on  the  top  of  a  hill  and  commanded  a  view 
of  the  broad  expanse  of  the  ocean  and  of  the  beautiful  harbor, 
which  was  studded  with  many  small  islands  covered  with  the 
freshest  of  evergreen  trees  and  a  profusion  of  the  loveliest  and 
brightest  verdure.  The  channels  between  these  islands  admit  of 
the  passage  of  the  largest  ocean  steamers,  and  on  a  sunshiny  day 
the  view  is  most  charming. 

The  castle,  an  imposing  structure,  built  of  logs  of  huge  dimen- 
sions, was  divided  into  capacious  rooms.  On  one  side  was  a 
banquet  hall  running  the  whole  length  of  the  building,  and  here, 
during  the  occupancy  of  the  Russians,  many  wild  scenes  of 
revelry  were  enacted.  In  order  to  preserve  this  structure  from 
decay,  our  government  expended  Si  1,000  three  years  ago,  but 
just  after  the  work  was  completed  it  took  fire  through  .some  mys- 
terious cause  and  was  burned  to  the  ground. 


I 


THE  TOURIST  ROUTE. 


93 


Many  stories  are  told,  some  of  them  replete  with  wild  romance 
and  crime  of  early  days  when  Russian  barons  and  beautiful  prin- 
cesses passed  days  and  nights  within  the  castle  in  joyous  living. 
It  is  said  that  Olga  Arbuzoff,  a  niece  of  Governor  Mooraveff, 
committed  suicide  by  thrusting  a  dagger  into  her  heart  on  the 
fifth  day  of  March,  1826,  the  very  day  of  her  marriage  to  Count 
Nicholas  Vassileff.  The  count  was  old,  uglj'  and  of  coarse 
morals,  and  the  lovely  princess  very  naturally  hated  him.  Fer 
uncle,  however,  compelled  her  to  marry  him,  though  she  in- 
sisted that  she  would  take  her  life  if  he  persisted  in  his  demands. 
The  princess  was  very  much  in  love  with  a  young  midshipman 
named  Demetrius  Davidoff,  who  was  j-oung,  handsome  and  an 
accomplished  gentleman,  and  whom  the  governor,  when  he  found 
they  were  in  love  with  each  other,  sent  away  on  a  six  months' 


It.VRAXOFI'  CASri.lC. 


cruise.  In  the  meantime  the  nuptials  between  the  princess  and 
the  count  were  hurried  to  a  consummation.  The  very  night  of 
the  wedding  the  young  lover  returned  and  went  iininediately  to 
the  castle.  As  soon  as  the  princess  saw  him  she  uttered  a  cry, 
and  rushing  into  his  arms,  snatched  his  dagger  from  its  sheath 
and  plunging  it  into  her  breast,  fell  to  the  floor  dead.  The 
horror-stricken  youth  immediately  drove  it  into  his  own  heart 
and  fell  dead  by  the  side  of  his  sweetheart.  The  following  day 
they  were  both  buried  in  the  same  grave.  From  one  of  the  win- 
dows in  the  banquet  hall  their  last  resting  place  was  pointed  out, 


94 


ALASKA. 


marked  by  a  simple  Greek  cross  standing  at  the  head  of  the 
mound. 

The  white  population  of  Sitka  does  not  exceed  five  hundred, 
including  the  actual  residents,  territorial  officials,  and  members 
of  the  naval  force  here  stationed.  The  natives  number  about 
nine  himdred  and  occupy  a  portion  of  the  town  known  as  the 
"rat:    i     '" 

The  .  I:  church  with  its  dome  painted  blue  and  chime  of 
bells  stanu.  at  the  head  of  the  street.  It  is  a  striking,  and 
rather  imposing  structure,  but  its  most  interesting  feature  is 
found  inside.  The  altar  decorations  and  the  doors  separating 
the  inner  sanctuary  from  the  body  of  the  church  are  truly 
gorgeous.  The  painting  of  the  Madonna  and  other  biblical 
figures  are  superbly  set  in  silver  and  gold.  Manj'  of  the  natives 
are  members  of  this  church,  and  the  ceremonies  are  of  an  inter- 
esting and  unusual  character,  the  congregation  standing  and 
kneeling,  alternately,  during  the  service. 

About  a  half  mile  south  the  Sitka  industrial  school  is  located. 
It  is  an  institution  where  native  children  are  taken  in  youth  and 
taught  various  trades.  It  is  supported  by  the  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Society,  the  general  government  assisting  in  the 
expense  of  maintaining  it. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  places  to  the  tourist  at  the  Alaskan 
capital  is  the  Jackson  Museum,  near  the  industrial  school,  con- 
taining one  of  the  largest  collections  of  Alaska  curios  in  the 
United  States.  Many  of  the  articles  here  deposited,  were  col- 
lected by  Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson  in  his  travels  throughout  the 
territory. 

''The  Alaskan  "  is  the  oldest  paper  in  the  territory,  and  being 
published  at  the  capital  is  much  .sought  after  by  people  abroad, 
who  wish  to  keep  informed  in  regard  to  the  progress  of  the 
territory. 

Looking  across  the  bay  to  the  north,  Mt.  Edgecombe,  an 
extinct  volcano,  is  plainly  seen  with  the  mouth  of  the  crater 
clearly  defined  at  the  summit.  An  excursion  to  the  mountain 
and  into  the  crater,  five  hundred  feet  deep,  forms  a  very  inter- 
esting trip,  but  can  hardly  be  made  during  the  one  day's  wait  of 
the  steumer.  The  ascent  of  Mt.  Verstovoi,  which  form  a  beau- 
tiful background  to  this  picturesque  town,  can  be  accomplished 
in  two  or  three  hours,  and  the  view  obtained  from  the  summit 
well  repays  one  for  the  effort. 


n 


s 


H 
> 


o 

s 


« 


THE  TOURIST  ROUTE. 


95 


From  the  top  of  Mt.  Verstovoi  may  be  seen  the  great  unknown 
country  stretching  on  and  on  to  the  westward.  The  tourist 
never  visits  it,  but  as  the  steamer  floats  out  from  the  peaceful 
Sitka  harbor  ''homeward  bound/'  the  "far  off  unknown"  is 
seen  to  fade  away  in  solemn  beauty.  By  and  by  this  region  will 
be  opened  up  to  the  pleasure  seeker,  when  it  will  afford  a  fitting 
climax  to  a  tour  of  the  grandest  scenic  route  in  the  world,  that 
which  threads  the  mystic  mazes  between  Puget  sound  an  1  Sitka. 

In  closing  this  chapter  on  the  tourist  route,  there  seems  to  be 
need  of  a  passing  reference  to  the  great  scenic  route  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  which,  taken  before  proceeding  to 
Alaska,  or  after  the  pleasures  of  that  journey  have  been  experi- 
enced, makes  the  round  complete,  and  one  feels  that  he  has  seen 
all  there  is  of  the  grand,  the  sublime,  and  the  beautiful  in  nature, 
in  all  its  moods. 

To  our  mind,  Yellowstone  park  presents  the  only  wonders  on 
this  continent  that  can  appropriately  be  coupled  with  those  of 
Alaska,  and  the  Grand  canyon,  the  geysers  and  hot  springs  of 
this  great  government  reservation,  offer  food  for  thought  and 
enchantment  for  the  eye  that  language  cannot  faithfully  portray. 
The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  has  just  issued  a  complete 
and  artistic  publication  entitled,  "  Sketches  of  Wonderland."  It 
is  beautifully  and  elaborately  illustrated,  and  replete  with  infor- 
mation concerning  the  scenic  points  of  the  northwest,  charmingly 
and  graphically  described. 

This  company  have,  with  their  excellent  regular  service,  a 
tourists'  schedule  which  affords  an  opportunity  of  visiting  the 
Minnesota  summer  resorts,  Yellowstone  park  and  the  main  and 
branch  lines  of  its  road  threading  through  Montana  and  Wash- 
ington, thence  south  through  Oregon  and  California  from  Seattle, 
via  steamer  or  rail. 

Excursion  tickets  from  Chicago  and  St.  Paul  to  Tacoma  and 
Seattle,  and  return,  are  on  sale  in  all  railroad  offices;  present  rates 
for  round  trip  tickets,  good  for  stop-overs  at  all  points  in  either 
direction  and  limited  to  nine  months  are  $i  lo  and  $90  respectively. 
These  tickets  if  desired  will  be  made  good  to  return  via  any  other 
direct  line. 

Alaska  steamer  excursion  tickets  are  sold  from  Tacoma  or 
Seattle  to  Sitka  and  return,  at  reduced  rates,  including  meals 
and  berth  on  the  steamer.  State-rooms  can  be  secured  in  ad- 
vance by  application  to  any  railroad  or  steamship  office. 


H- 


CHAPTER  X. 


ALASKA    INDIANS. 


Y;^  HENCE  came  the  Alaska 
native  ?  Is  a  question  that 
will  probably  never  be  sat- 
isfactorily determined,  as 
no  record  or  written  history 
furnishes  a  clew,  but  the 
consensus  of  opinion  seems 
to  point  to  an  Asiatic  origin. 
Professor  Dall  in  his  re- 
port on  the  distribution, 
origin,  etc.,  of  the  native 
races  of  the  northwestern 
territory,  believes  the  na- 
tives of  Alaska  were  once  inhabitants  of  the  interior  of  America, 
and  that  they  were  forced  to  the  west  and  north,  by  tribes  of  In- 
dians from  the  south.  He  can,  in  no  way,  connect  them  with  the 
Japanese  or  the  Chinese,  either  by  dress,  manner,  or  language. 

Mr.  L.  M.  Turner,  who  spent  a  number  of  j-ears  among  the 
Aleutian  islands  and  on  the  east  Bering  coast  as  far  north  as  Norton 
sound,  reports  to  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  that  the  Innuits  or 
Eskimo,  without  doubt,  populated  this  country  from  the  coast  of 
Greenland,  and  that  he  found  no  trouble  in  tracing  a  relationship, 
and  proof  that  the  migration  was  from  the  east  to  the  west. 

Professor  Otis  T.  Mason,  of  the  same  institution,  takes  the  posi- 
tion that  the  emigration  came  from  Asia  to  this  continent,  and 
that  the  Alaska  Innuits  are,  undoubtedly,  of  Mongolian  origin. 
We  also  are  constrained  to  take  the  latter  view,  and  believe 
they  once  came  across  Bering  strait.  It  is  an  easy  matter  for  the 
most  casual  observer,  to  note  the  marked  points  of  resemblance 
between  the  Japanese,  and  the  Innuit  and  Indian  of  Alaska.  The 
same  straight,  black  hair,  olive  complexion,  small  stature,  almond 


T 


ALASKA  INDIANS. 


97 


shaped  eye  and  unusually  small    hands   and   feet,  are,  to  our 
mind,  unmistakable  evidences  of  kinship. 

They  are  not  an  inventive  people,  but  are  decidedly  and 
emphatically  imitative,  a  trait  in  the  Japanese  character  always 
so  conspicuous,  and  their  genius  seems  best  illustrated  in  the 
nicety  of  their  carving,  and  their  skill  in  weaving  the  most  deli- 
cate fabrics. 

The  aborigines  of  any  country  are  quick  to  adopt  the  vices  of 
the  white  man,  but  much  slower  in  assuming  his  virtues.  This 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  as  usually  the  whites  with  whom  they 
first  come  in  contact  are  not  of  a  class  whose  virtues  are  conspicu- 
ous, and  the  unsuspecting  native  has  the  smooth  paths  of  vice 
pointed  out  more  often  than  the  steep  and  rugged  road  of  virtue. 
The  aborigines'  love  of  intoxicants  is  great,  and  he  will  do 
almost  anything  to  procure  them. 

When  the  Russians  first  occupied  the  country,  they  taught 
the  native  to  make  quass,  a  cooling  and  comparatively  harmless 
drink,  concocted  of  rye  meal  mixed  with  water  which  they  placed 
in  a  cask  until  fermented.  Latterly  the  native  learned  to  add 
sugar,  flour,  dried  apples  and  a  few  hops,  putting  the  whole  into 
a  cask  until  cleared  by  fermentation.  A  strong  intoxicant  is  the 
result.  Another  home  brewed  intoxicant,  called  hoochinoo,  is 
made  of  fermented  molasses  and  flour,  and  is  a  vile  kind  of 
liquor.  When  imbibed,  it  fairly  crazes  the  natives,  fittin.p  theui 
for  any  deeds  of  violence  or  viciousness.  They  are  fond  of 
Jamaica  ginger,  lemon  extract,  Florida  water,  cologne,  or  in  fact, 
anything  having  fragrance  or  a  "tang."' 

Totem  poles  are  found  in  every  village  along  the  southeastern 
coast.  There  is  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  their  real  signifi- 
cance. They  are  intended,  in  part,  to  commemorate  deeds  of 
bravery,  or  some  virtue,  in  the  lives  of  the  departed,  near  whose 
graves  they  are  reared ;  also  to  indicate  the  family  arms  of  the 
persons  for  whom  they  are  erected,  and  whose  habitations  they 
adorn.  Some  tribes  are  represented  by  the  crow  or  the  hawk ; 
others  have  the  bear,  the  whale,  or  the  beaver,  asjtheir  distinctive 
tribal  emblem.  These  poles  are  elaborately  carved  from  top 
to  bottom,  some  reaching  the  height  of  fifty  feet,  and  being  three 
or  four  feet  in  diameter.  The  height  signifies  the  importance  of 
the  individual.  These  people  have  an  oral  mythology  of  the 
most  fabulous  character,  handed  down  from  father  to  son.    Many 


il 


98  ALASKA. 

of  the  curious  carvings  on  the  totem  poles  are  designed  to  tell, 
in  story,  some  event  in  the  history  or  tribe  of  the  individual. 

Despite  the  efforts  of  missionaries  and  teachers,  and  the  influ- 
ence of  civilization,  witchcraft  is  still  believed  in  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent.  Evil  spirits  still  take  possession  of  the  old,  the 
decrepid,  and  the  deformed,  sometimes  of  the  young,  and  these 
must  be  exorcised ;  it  being  considered  a  matter  of  duty  to  dis- 
possess the  unfortunate  of  his  tormentors.  Death  sometimes 
results  from  the  tortures  undergone  by  those  "bewitched." 

Cremation  was  formerly  practiced  throughout  the  whole  coast 
country  of  Alaska,  but  it  is  fast  disappearing  now,  except  where 
it  is  followed  by  tribes  removed  from  missionary  influences.  It 
may  be  here  suggested,  however,  that  the  energies  expended  by 
missionaries  and  teachers  in  eradicating  this  custom,  time  hon- 
ored in  its  antiquity,  might  have  borue  better  fruits  if  spent  in 
other  directions. 

The  dead  are  usually  placed  in  boxes,  not  long  enough  to 
permit  the  whole  body  to  recline  at  full  length,  so  it  is  disjointed 
and  placed  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  the  box  kept  above  ground. 
Sometimes  the  location  of  a  grave  is  on  a  high  point,  where  the 
departed  spirit  can  look  out  upon  his  former  haunts.  Some  of 
the  personal  effects  of  the  deceased  are  often  placed  beside  him. 

The  shamans,  or  doctors  are  never  cremated,  but  lie  in  state 
four  days  —  one  day  in  each  corner  of  the  dwelling  —  then  the 
corpse  is  conveyed  to  the  dead  house,  where  it  is  seated  in  an 
upright  position,  with  blankets  and  paraphernalia  to  add  to  its 
comfort  in  the  spirit  land. 

Among  the  Thlinkits,  the  name  by  which  most  of  the  natives 
in  Southeast  Alaska  are  known,  cremation  was  formerly  the  favorite 
method  of  disposing  of  the  dead.  The  bodies  of  "witches" 
and  slaves  were  disposed  of  with  great  secrecy,  but  those  of 
chiefs  lay  in  state.  The  people  observed  certain  rites,  then  the 
body  was  cremated,  the  totem  pole  erected  to  his  memory,  and 
his  ashes  were  incased  in  the  base. 

There  is  positive  evidence  that  cannibalism  was  practiced 
among  these  people  upon  the  death  of  chiefs  ;  the  sacrifice  of 
slaves  was  common,  that  their  spirits  might  accompany  them 
into  the  spirit  land.  It  is  highly  probable  that  the  bodies  of 
these  slaves  were  cooked  and  eaten.  Medicine  men  have  some- 
times been  known  to  devour  portions  of  corpses,  believing  that 
they  would  acquire  con'rol  of  the  spirit  and  gain  influence  over 


d 


de 

mi 
foi 


gar 
call 
Thi 
unc 
is  t 
oft« 
linj 


T 


ALASKA  INDIANS. 


99 


demon  spirits.  As  tlie  j;iant  tree  yields  to  the  axe  of  the  wood- 
man, so  are  most  ofthe.se  practices  and  customs  giving  way  be- 
fore the  advance  of  civilization. 


l.VniAN  DOCTOR. 

The  Alaska  Indians  are  inveterate  gamblers.  The  favorite 
game  is  played  with  a  handful  of  small  sticks  of  different  colors, 
called  by  various  names,  sucli  as  crab,  whale,  duck,  otter,  etc. 
The  player  shuffles  all  the  sticks  together,  then  places  them 
under  bunches  of  mos-?.  The  object  is  to  guess  under  which  pile 
is  the  whale  or  the  duck,  etc.  Simple  as  it  looks,  the  natives 
often  lose  all  their  possessions  at  the  game.  This  kind  of  gamb- 
ling is  much  the  same  as  that  called   "sing-gamble"  among 


I 


f 


lOO 


ALASKA. 


Paget  Sound  Indians,  the  latter  of  whom  accompany  the  shuffling 
and  hiding  of  sticks  with  a  weird  chant. 

Thej'  are  remarkably  expert  in  carving  and  engraving,  as  the 
numerous  totem  poles,  arrowheads,  spearheads,  and  silver  and 
copper  ornaments  prove.  Bullets,  spearheads  and  arrowheads, 
as  well  as  ornaments  of  various  kinds,  are  made  by  the  natives 
of  copper,  found  on  White  river  in  the  interior  country,  and  not 
on  Copper  river,  as  is  generally  supposed.  Baskets  of  ingenious 
design  and  coloring  are  made  from  grasses  and  roots;  and  the 
celebrated  Chilkat  blanket  is  made  from  the  wool  of  the  moun- 
tain sheep.  Some  of  these  blankets  are  really  beautiful  in  design 
and  workmanship,  many  of  them  being  sold  for  one  hundred 
dollars.  They  are  woven  on  rude  hand  looms,  and  it  usuallj- 
takes  a  native  woman  six  .nonths  to  complete  one.  The  real 
article  is,  however,  becoming  scarce,  as  most  of  those  now  seen 
contain  an  admixture  of  the  coarse  yarn  of  commerce. 

Before  the  .strong  arm  of  the  law  stepped  in,  an  injury  of  one 
native  by  another  could  be  satisfied  by  the  payment  of  some 
article  of  value,  usually  a  blanket.  Even  murder  could  be 
atoned  for  and  forgiven,  if  a  sufficient  number  of  blankets  were 
handed  over  to  the  murdered  man's  relatives.  The  lav>-  of  "An 
eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,'"  was  modified  by  these 
people.  An  innocent  person  might  be  sacrificed,  and  this  was 
considered  an  equivalent  and  taken  as  full  sati.sfaction  and  the 
murderer  was  allowed  to  go  free, 

The  canoe  of  the  native  is  to  him  a  necessity.  It  is  made  of 
wood  in  Southea.st  Ala.ska;  in  the  far  north  of  skins.  In  the 
southern  portions  the  wood  selected  is  usually  the  red  and  yellow 
cedar.  Many  of  these  canoes  have  graceful  lines,  elaborately 
carved  prows  and  sterns,  and  are  frequently  large  enough  to 
carry  forty  or  fifty  men.  Tliey  are  cut  out  of  the  whole  tree,  the 
magnificent  yellow  cedar,  which  frequentlj^  grows  to  a  great 
height,  and  is  from  seven  to  ten  feet  in  diameter,  furni.shing  the 
best.  The  sides  are  carefully  modeled,  worked  and  bent,  so  as 
to  have  the  required  graceful  curve,  by  using  hot  water,  and  the 
canoe,  when  finished  and  dried,  always  retains  the  shape  given 
to  it  by  the  builder. 

The  Chinook  jargon,  a  coml)ination  of  French  and  English, 
invented  and  used  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  use  in 
trading  with  the  natives  of  Oregon,  Wa.shington,  and  the  British 
American    possessions,    still    prevails    among   the   whites   and 


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T^ 


ALASKA  INDIANS, 


lOI 


natives  in  the  coast  country,  and  to  a  limited  extent  in  the  in- 
terior, but  it  almost  entirely  disappears  after  leaving  Sitka  going 
west,  where  the  Russian  language  is  spoken  mainly  among  the 
Aleutian  islands. 

The  paint  used  by  the  natives  to  decorate  their  canoes, 
totems,  and  faces,  is  of  two  colors  only,  red  and  black.  It  is 
made  of  a  kind  of  rock  found  in  the  country,  which  is  rubbed  over 
the  surface  of  a  coarse  stone,  and  as  it  is  ground  off,  water  or  oil 
is  mixed  with  it,  and  it  makes  a  very  excellent  substitute  for 
paint,  ikushes  are  made  of  feathers,  or  the  sinews  of  animals. 
The  Eskimo  of  the  Arctic  find  the  same  kind  of  stone  in  that 
region,  and  use  it  for  painting  or  decorating  their  sleds.  The 
Aleuts,  especially  west  of  Unalaska.  are  artistic  in  their  work 
with  grasses  and  roots,  and  the  delicacj*  with  which  they  weave 
and  braid  them  evinces  wonderful  skill. 

It  is  the  practice  of  the  natives  of  Southeast  Alaska  to  blacken 
their  faces  in  summer,  by  nibbing  in  soot  mixed  with  seal  oil. 
This  is  done  to  prevent  the  sun  blistering  them  when  traveling 
on  the  water.  It  also  acts  as  a  shad  to  their  eyes,  which  would 
otherwise  suffer  from  the  glaring  retiection  of  the  sun's  rays. 

The  houses  of  natives  in  Southeast  Alaska  are  constructed  of 
hewn  boards  or  planks,  and  in  some  of  the  larj^er  villages  they 
are  built  of  massive  logs,  very  similar  to  the  log  hoi'ses  built  Iv 
whites  in  heavily  timbered  countries.  In  the  center  there  is  a 
square  opening,  eight  or  ten  feet  across,  which  is  neatly  filled 
with  gravel  upon  which  the  fire  is  built.  The  smoke  a.sceihls  to 
the  roof  through  an  opening  made  lengthwi.se,  with  the  comb 
several  feet  long,  of  boards  or  thin  slabs,  that  can  be  raised  on 
either  side  so  as  to  make  a  perfect  draft,  according  to  the  direc- 
tion the  wind  is  blowing.  Around  the  fireplace,  the  floor  is 
built  a  few  inches  high,  and  bunks  are  placed  against  the  sides 
of  the  house  in  such  number  as  the  occupants  require.  There 
is  rarely  more  than  one  room  in  the  house.  '■ 

The  house  of  the  Aleut  or  natives  of  the  Aleutian  archipel- 
ago is  called  a  barabara,  and  is  a  sort  of  a  sod  house  and  dug- 
out combined.  The  entrance  is  usually  by  a  dark  and  narrow 
opening,  through  which  the  natives  crawl,  and  which  leads  into 
the  main  room. 


J02 


ALASKA. 


HON.  WARRKN  TKIITT. 


Hon.  Warren  Truitt,  Jud{(e  of  the  United  States  District  Court  for  Alaska, 
whose  term  of  office  has  nearly  expired,  will  probably  enjoy  the  distinction  of 
being  the  only  Judge  who  held  his  position  during  the  full  four  years  for 
which  he  was  appointed,  his  predeces.sors  either  resigning  or  were  removed 
before  the  expiration  of  their  term.  He  was  appointed  by  President  Harri- 
son, and  is  the  only  Republican  officeholder  in  tlu-  territory. 

As  a  jurist  and  a  citizen,  Judge  Truitt  commands  the  respect  of  the  whole 
people,  and  his  careful  watchfulness  over  the  rij^hts  of  the  natives,  meting 
out  to  them  just  deserts  when  offenders,  and  standing  as  their  ])rotector  when 
improperly  treated,  has  made  them  his  warnu'st  friends.  Hy  his  strict  integ- 
rity, his  fairmiiidedness  and  the  impartial  administration  of  the  dutie.sof  his 
office,  he  has  won  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  man  of  broad 
mind,  fine  judicial  ability  and  an  honorable  and  ujjright  judge  He  enjoys 
the  honor  of  presiding  over  the  largest  district,  from  a  geographical  stand- 
point in  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


ESKIMO    HABITS    AM)   CUSTOMS. 


^1 


ij^ 


^HE  Eskimo,  or  Iniiuit,  as  they 
call  themselves,  of  Arctic 
Alaska,  do  not  live,  as  many  sup- 
pose, in  snow  houses.  They  live 
in  huts  built  underground.  Usually 
more  than  one  family  occupy  a  sin- 
gle hut,  and  often  ten  or  fifteen  per- 
sons live  for  eight  months  in  the 
year  in  a  single  apartment  that  is 
barely  large  enough  for  two  per- 
sons. 

Their  huts  are  built  by  digging 
a  hole  in  the  ground  about  six  feet 
deep,  and  logs  are  stood  up  side  by 
side  all  around  the  hole.  On  the 
tops  of  these  are  laid  logs  that  rest 
even  with  the  top  of  the  ground. 
Stringers  are  then  laid  across  them 
and  other  logs  are  laid  on  these, 
when  moss  and  dirt  is  covered  over, 
leaving  an  opening  about  two  feet 
square,  over  which  is  stretched  a  piece  of  walrus  entrail  that  is 
so  transparent  that  light  comes  through,  which  answers  the  pur- 
pose of  a  window. 

An  entrance  into  the  hut  is  made  through  an  apartment  con- 
structed similar  to  the  hut,  in  the  top  of  which  a  hole  is  left  large 
enough  to  admit  a  person,  and  by  means  of  a  sort  of  stepladder 
he  reaches  the  bottom.  P'rom  this  is  a  passageway,  usually 
about  two  feet  square,  through  which  he  must  crawl  on  his 
hands  and  knees  to  reach  the  living  room  of  the  hut,  perhaps 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  away.     At  the  end  of  the  passage  leading 


< 

i 

■ 

ZAKSRIXKK. 


104 


ALASKA. 


into  the  hut  is  a  skin  which  is  pushed  aside  when  one  enters  or 
goes  out.  When  this  is  closed  over  the  hole,  the  apartment  is 
practically  airtight,  and  when  occupied  by  a  dozen  or  more 
persons  the  air  soon  becomes  so  foul  that  one  side  of  the  little 
skin  window  has  to  be  pulled  up  to  let  it  escape.  Occasionally 
a  hut  is  found  where  the  occupants  appreciate  the  value  of  fresh 
air  and  have  inserted  a  wooden  spout  in  the  roof  through  which 
the  impure  air  is  allowed  to  escape. 

No  tables  or  chairs  are  ever  used  by  the  Eskimo,  and  the 
only  article  found  in  the  way  of  furniture  is  their  stove,  or,  more 
properly  speaking,  lamp.  They  are  all  of  one  pattern,  usually 
of  wood,  but  sometimes  of  stone,  and  are  shaped  the  same  as  a 
circular  board  would  be  if  cut  in  halves.  The  center  of  the  lamp 
is  hollowed  out  to  a  depth  of  perhaps  a  half  inch,  thus  leaving  a 
ridge  all  around.  Along  the  circle  of  this  ridge  is  spread  a  sort 
of  cotton,  gathered  from  a  wild  shrub  in  summer.  This  answers 
for  a  lamp  wick,  and  when  saturated  with  seal  oil  will  burn  a 
long  time  before  being  consumed.  The  lamp  is  placed  on  two 
wooden  pins  driven  into  the  logs  on  one  side  of  the  hut,  and 
above  the  lamp  is  driven  another  wooden  pin,  on  which  is  placed 
a  piece  of  seal  blubber,  just  far  enough  from  the  ilame  to  cause 
the  oil  to  drip  sufficiently  to  furnish  fuel  for  the  lamp. 

The  Eskimo  may  be  truly  said  to  burn  the  midnight  oil,  for 
their  lamps  are  never  suffered  to  go  out  from  the  time  they  are 
lighted  in  the  fall  until  they  abandon  their  huts  for  the  tent  in 
summer.  They  are  their  only  stove,  and  for  heating  purpose^ 
are  excellent. 

The  Eskimo  are,  as  a  rule,  industrious.  It  is  so)dom  that  a 
lazy  person  is  seen  among  either  sex.  They  early  learn  that  an 
existence  is  only  to  be  had  by  applying  themselves  to  some  task, 
and  the  older  they  grow  the  more  they  are  impressed  with  the 
knowledge  that  they  can  satisfy  the  cravings  of  an  emptj-  stom- 
ach only  by  industrious  labor. 

The  preparation  of  skins  requires  ceaseless  exertion,  and 
when  they  are  ready  to  be  made  up,  sinew  thread  must  be 
braided  and  twisted,  which  of  itself  is  an  art.  This  is  one  of  the 
first  things  a  young  girl  is  taught,  and  while  she  is  yet  almost 
an  infant  is  capable  of  preparing  thread  from  deer  or  whale 
sinew  with  all  the  dexterity  of  a  woman.  Most  women  are  ex- 
pert sewers,  and  their  stitches  are  often  as  even  and  regular  as 
could  be  made  by  a  machine. 


u 

.1 


y 


u 


lIsKiMci  Il(i\,  I'isKiMo  Hit,  Eskimo  C.iki.s,  IIskimd  I'amii.y, 

KSKI.MO  Sl'KARINd    WALRfS. 


ESKIMO  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS. 


IPJ 


It  is  probably  from  the  fact  that  the  Eskimos  are  obliged  to 
put  an  endless  amount  of  labor  into  nearly  everything  they 
make,  that  is  to  be  found  the  secrect  of  their  everlasting 
patience.  They  will  scrape  at  a  skin  a  long  time  before  hardly 
an  impression  is  made  upon  it,  and  rub  and  pull  at  one  when  it 
is  hard  and  stiff.  Their  delicately  formed  hands  seem  poorly 
adapted  to  such  kind  of  work  ,  but  in  the  end  the  skin  becomes 
soft  and  pliable. 

Their  hands  are,  without  exception,  small  and  prettily  shaped. 
Even  among  those  women  who  are  tall  and  slimly  built  their 
hands  are  unusually  small  and  shapely.  The  same  is  true  of 
their  feet ;  and  this  feature,  so  prominent  among  the  female  sex, 
is  also  universal  among  the  men.  The  complexion  of  the  Eskimo 
is  also  of  a  character  that  one  would  scarcely  expect  to  find 
among  people  who  are  brought  so  much  in  contact  with  the  e'.e- 
ments.  Although  the  color  of  their  skin  borders  strongly  on  the 
olive  order,  it  seems  soft  and  clear. 

In  eating,  the  Eskimo  all  sit  around  in  a  circle,  and  the  food 
is  placed  on  the  floor  in  the  center  of  the  group.  No  meal, 
whether  it  be  of  dried  or  frozen  fish,  seal  or  whak:  meat,  is  ready 
to  be  eaten  until  a  vessel  containing  seal  oil  is  at  band.  This  is 
placed  in  a  position  easily  reached  by  those  eatin  ?,  nud,  before 
taking  a  bite  of  anything,  it  is  first  dipped  into  the  oil,  or  two  or 
three  fingers  are  thrust  into  it,  and  then  placed  into  the  mouth 
and  sucked.  Such  a  thing  as  a  spoon  is  rarely  eiver  used  by 
them,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  many  of  them  would  understand  its 
use  if  they  had  one. 

It  is  when  a  household  of  Eskimo  are  gathered  about  the  floor 
partaking  of  their  food  that  their  natural  disposition  to  mirth  is 
given  full  sway,  and  every  meal,  whether  in  their  huts  or  in  the 
tent  on  the  beach,  partakes  more  of  the  nature  of  a  family  re- 
union than  an  everyday  occurrence.  They  are  naturally  given 
to  jest  and  laughter,  and  a  continual  hubbub  reigns  until  the 
last  morsel  is  eaten.  This  predisposition  toward  good  nature  is 
always  preser.t  A  surly  Eskimo  is  rarely  ceen,  and  whether  it 
rains  or  shines,  or  the  wind  blows  a  blizzard  from  the  north  pole, 
they  are  the  same  happy  and  apparently  contented  people. 

The  Eskimo  have  but  one  standard  measure,  and  that  is  the 
fathom.  It  means  as  much  as  a  man  can  span  by  holding  his 
arms  out  at  right  angles  to  his  body,  and  this  measures  about  six 
feet.    When  buying  calico  or  drilling  of  the  whites,  or  measuring 


J* 


io6 


ALASKA. 


the  dimensions  of  a  boat  or  Ior,  or  for  any  other  purpose,  it  is 
always  so  many  fathoms,  or  "e  sung  nuk,"  as  it  is  called  by 
them. 

If  a  woman  wants  to  make  a  present,  the  only  thing  that  sug- 
gests itself  to  her,  and  in  fact  the  only  thing  she  ever  gives  to  a 
lover,  is  a  tobacco  pouch,  or  "tee  rum  i  ute,"  as  it  is  called. 
These  they  make  of  reindeer  or  squirrel  skin  in  various  styles, 
and  decorate  them  with  beads  or  some  fancy-colored  fur,  such  as 
the  ermine,  either  in  its  delicate  yellow  tinge  of  summer  or  the 
pure  white  it  assumes  in  winter. 

The  Eskimo  still  cling  to  the  primitive  manner  of  making  fire 
with  flint  stone  and  their  little  pieces  of  steel,  usually  a  piece  of 
an  old  file,  and  flint  are  as  much  a  part  of  one's  personal  belong- 
ings as  the  coat  he  wears  upon  his  back. 

They  carrj'  these  articles  in  a  little  bag,  in  the  bottom  of 
which  are  little  wads  of  the  same  fibrous  material  used  for  wicks 
for  their  oil  lamps,  and  which  is  gathered  from  a  wild  Lush  in 
the  fall  of  the  year.  In  making  a  light,  they  take  a  small  piece 
of  this  cotton,  which  has  previously  been  rolled  in  wood  ashes, 
and,  holding  it  between  the  thumb  and  flint,  strike  the  steel 
against  the  stone,  and  the  sparks  emitted  ignite  the  cotton,  which 
is  blown  into  a  flame.  It  is  a  crude  way  of  getting  a  fire  started, 
but  is  one  of  the  most  simple  and  interesting  of  their  customs, 
for  it  comes  from  a  period  of  time  when  the  Eskimo  hpd  to 
depend  upon  their  own  resources  for  obtaining  a  fire,  and  before 
they  knew  anything  about  the  usefulness  of  the  match  of 
civilization. 

The  Eskimo  are  complete  slaves  to  tobacco,  and  it  is  seldom 
that  one  is  seen  who  does  not  use  it  in  one  form  or  another.  All 
the  men  and  most  of  the  women  smoke,  while  a  child,  after  it 
reaches  the  age  of  five  or  six  years,  appears  not  to  be  a  true 
representative  of  his  race  if  he  cannot  smoke  a  pipe  or  chew 
tobacco. 

While  nearly  all  the  women  smoke,  they  take  to  chewing  more 
naturally,  and  they  do  it  so  quietly  that  one  would  not  suspect  it 
from  their  actions.  They  never  spit,  and  only  crunch  it  occa- 
sionally ,  preferring  to  suck  it  or  allow  it  to  lie  quietly  in  the 
mouth,  and,  as  spittle  accumulates,  swallow  it.  They  can  not 
understand  why  a  white  man  spits  when  chewing  or  smoking, 
for  they  seem  to  find  pleasure  in  the  habit  only  from  swallowing 
the  juice.     If  a  native  is  chewing  and  wants  to  eat  he  carefully 


ESKIMO  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS. 


107 


takes  the  (juid  of  tobacco  from  his  mouth  and  puts  it  on  top  of 
his  ear.  From  this  place  it  is  afterwards  taken  to  be  again  put 
in  his  mouth,  and  this  process  is  repeated  until  he  has  gotten  all 
the  substance  he  can  from  the  tobacco.  It  is  then  carefully  put 
away  in  his  tobacco  pouch,  to  eventually  find  its  way  to  his 
pipe,  and  the  end  of  that  tobacco  is  not  reached  until  it  is  wafted 
away  in  clouds  of  smoke.  An  Eskimo  who  is  without  tobacco 
is  as  wretched  as  a  confirmed  drunkard  without  his  whisky,  and 
he  will  go  to  as  great  extremes  to  secure  it  as  he  would  to  pro- 
cure food  for  him.self  and  family.  It  is  the  first  thing  he  asks 
for  when  a  white  man  approaches  him,  and  the  first  article  he 
wants  to  trade  for  when  he  has  furs  to  sell. 

The  oomiak,  or  skin  boat,  is  a  curiously  constructed  affair, 
and  when  standing  on  the  beach  looks  lumbering  and  awkward 
and  as  if  it  would  not  carry  a  heavy  load  or  ride  much  of  a  sea ; 
yet  as  many  as  thirty  or  fortj'  persons  often  get  in  one,  and  when 
thus  loaded  it  will  ride  in  rough  water  with  remarkable  buoy- 
ancy. The  usual  size  of  the  oomiak  is  about  thirty-five  feet 
long,  six  feet  beam,  about  four  feet  Jeep  in  the  middle,  and 
comes  almost  to  a  point  at  both  ends.  It  is  built  something 
after  the  shape  of  a  dory.  The  frame  work  is  made  of  pieces  of 
timber,  the  heaviest  of  which  is  about  three  inches  square. 
These  are  placed  crosswise  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  across 
them  are  lashed  small  strips  by  means  of  seal  thongs,  each  joint 
being  made  to  fit  closely. 

When  the  timbers  are  firmly  lashed  together,  they  are  very- 
strong,  and  a  heavy  sea  striking  the  side  of  the  boat  will  not 
cause  it  to  yield  at  a  single  joint.  When  the  framework  is 
finally  ready,  walrus  or  sealskin  is  stretched  over  it,  the  pieces 
sewed  together  and  pulled  as  tightly  as  possible,  and  then  lashed 
to  the  top-rail.  When  the  skin  is  in  place  scarcely  a  drop  of 
wai  er  can  penetrate  through  the  seams.  Over  the  top -rail  about 
two  feet  of  the  skin  is  allowed  to  hang  loosely  on  the  inside,  the 
whole  length  of  the  boat,  and  when  sailing  in  rough  weather, 
slats  are  raised  between  the  skin  and  frame,  the  loose  skin  pulled 
up,  thir&  giving  about  two  feet  more  of  surface  above  the  sea, 
and  if  carefully  managed,  scarcely  a  drop  of  water  can  reach  the 
inside  in  the  roughest  weather.  The  oomiak  has  no  keel  and 
therefore  cannot  beat  or  tack  against  the  wind,  and  the  only 
thing  to  do  if  it  blovs  too  hard,  is  to  seek  the  first  landing  that 
can  be  made. 


. .  m 


io8 


ALASKA. 


There  is  generally  but  one  mast  to  the  oomiak,  and  this 
stands  about  one-third  of  the  length  back  from  the  bow,  and 
when  there  is  no  wind  it  is  taken  down  and  laid  in  the 
boat.  Sometimes,  when  the  wind  is  fair,  a  second  but  smaller 
mast  is  placed  aboi/t  the  same  distance  from  the  stern  of  the 
boat,  but  they  are  only  used  in  the  largest  oomiaks.  The 
lower  end  of  the  mast  is  inserted  in  a  slot  between  timbers 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  guys  extend  from  near  the  top 
to  both  sides  and  also  to  both  bow  and  stem. 

One  not  used  to  the  oomiak  is  in  constant  dread  of  moving 
about,  for  fear  that  if  he  should  step  between  the  framework  he 
will  make  a  hole  in  the  skin,  for  the  water  is  plainly  seen  through 
it.  The  natives  pay  little  attention  to  where  they  step  in  going 
from  one  part  of  the  boat  to  another,  and  although  their  feet 
will  depress  the  skin  two  or  three  inches,  there  is  no  danger  of 
its  giving  way,  and  the  very  spot  they  are  standing  on  would 
doubtless  hold  up  a  ton. 

The  kyak  used  by  the  Eskimo  is  similar  in  construction  and 
style  to  the  skin  canoe  or  bidarka  found  among  the  natives 
along  the  southern  coast  of  Alaska.  It  is  not  much  used  by  the 
coast  Eskimo,  as  they  do  most  of  their  traveling  by  water  in  the 
oomiak,  but  those  in  the  interior  use  them  to  greater  extent  in 
navigating  on  the  rivers  and  lakes,  they  being  so  light  that  they 
can  carry  them  about  with  very  little  trouble.  They  are  gen- 
erally the  single-hatch  kyak,  but  occasionally  one  is  found  with 
two  or  three  holes  and  capable  of  carrying  as  many  ^.ersons. 

An  article  of  clothing  that  is  indispensable  among  the  Eskimo 
is  the  "  kar  pee  tuk  "  or  rain  coat.  It  is  made  from  the  entrails 
of  the  seal  or  walrus,  strips  about  three  inches  wide  being  .sewed 
together  and  made  so  as  to  slip  over  the  head  like  an  artiger.  It 
is  identical  in  shape  and  made  the  same  as  the  "  kamalika  "  worn 
by  the  natives  along  the  southern  coast  of  the  territory.  If  care- 
fully sewed  it  is  water-tight,  and  will  weigh  but  a  few  ounces. 
It  is  rather  a  neat  and  ta.steful  looking  garment  when  dry,  and 
rustles  like  silk,  but  when  wet  has  a  slick  or  slimy  appearance 
strongly  suggestive  of  the  part  of  the  animal  from  which  it  is 
made. 

A  mark  which  serves  as  a  good  means  of  determining  the 
sexes  is  that  worn  by  the  females,  which  consists  of  three  or  five 
lines  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  wide  on  the  chin,  which  resem- 
bles tattooing  made  with  India  ink.     Instead  of  pricking  it  in,  a 


X 
n 

3 


p: 

P 

1 

1 

1 

i 

P 

ESKIMO  HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS. 


109 


sharp  instrument  is  drawn  over  the  skin  until  blood  comes,  and 
wood  ashes  are  then  rubbed  in.  Thi.s  practice  is  almost  universal, 
and  is  usually  put  on  when  a  girl  reaches  about  the  age  of  eight 
years. 

Among  the  men  the  practice  of  wearing  labrets  is  common, 
though  not  .so  universally  adopted  as  tattooing  among  the  women. 
These  labrets  are  worn  on  either  side  of  the  lower  lip,  an  aper- 
ture having  been  punctured  with  some  pain  and  much  care  for 
the  purpose.  The  most  popular  style  is  about  a  half-inch  in 
diameter,  but  sometimes  the}-  reach  the  enormous  size  of  an  inch. 
They  are  usually  made  of  highly  polished  ivory  with  a  colored 
bead  in  the  center,  and  are  occasionally  worn  on  both  sides  of  the 
chin.  Glass  stoppers  are  much  .sought  after  for  this  purpose, 
but  not  much  worn  on  account  of  being  difficult  to  obtain. 

The  tattooing  by  the  women  and  wearing  of  labrets  by  the 
men  ha\  e  no  significance  other  than  being  considered  an  adorn- 
ment for  the  face.  Some  of  the  women  have  the  middle  latch  of 
the  nose  pierced,  from  which  beads  are  suspended,  but  they  are 
considered  troublesome  ind  are  being  abandoned. 

The  favorite  manner  of  having  the  ears  pierced  by  the  women 
is  just  above  the  end,  from  which  two  or  three  strings  of  beads 
are  suspended,  passing  from  one  ear  to  the  other  under  the  chin. 
The  younger  women  wear  beads  wound  around  their  hair,  which 
is  first  braided  on  both  sides,  and  occasionally  bracelets  and  neck- 
laces of  beads  are  worn. 

The  men  seldom  tattoo  their  arms  or  hands,  and  their  only 
peculiarity  of  dress  is  wearing  the  labret  and  .shaving  the  crowns 
of  their  heads. 

Plurality  of  wives  is  a  practice  that  is  by  no  means  common, 
and  when  it  does  occur  it  is  among  men  who,  by  virtue  of  their 
possessing  more  property  than  their  neighbors,  are  able  to  sup- 
port more  than  one  wife.  When  the  custom  prf^vails,  there 
apj^ars  to  be  no  disturbing  or  ciuarrelsome  disposition,  and  if 
there  is  any,  the  aggrieved  woman  bottles  her  wrath,  doubtless 
from  fear  that  she  will  be  turned  out  to  shift  for  herself,  which  is 
more  to  be  dreaded  tlian  any  pang  of  envy  or  jealousy  she  might 
experience. 

The  Arctic  Alaska  E.skimo  is,  physically,  a  fine  specimen  of 
the  human  race.  While  as  a  rule  they  will  not  average  over 
five  feet  six  or  eight  inches  in  height,  occasionally  a  .six-footer  is 
fotnid,  but  he  is  a  very  rare  exception.     They  are  not  by  any 


m 


mi 


no 


ALASKA. 


means  dwarfish  in  stature  or  slow  and  sluggish  in  their  move- 
ments; neither  are  they  dull  and  stupid  intellectually.  The 
casual  observer  might  think  them  so,  for  they  appear  subdued 
and  reserved  when  among  the  whites;  but  when  awaj'  from  them 
and  left  to  act  freelj-,  they  are  bright,  cheerful  and  intelligent. 

A  stout  or  corpulent  Eskimo  is  never  seen.  Their  whole  life 
is  one  which  calls  into  play  every  muscle  of  the  body,  and  they 
are  distinctly  an  athletic  race.  Not  a  pound  of  superfluous  flesh 
is  on  their  closely  knitted  frames,  and,  while  their  hands,  lower 
limbs,  and  feet  are  very  small,  their  chests  and  shoulders  are 
grandly  developed,  and  their  arms  are  muscular  and  sinewy. 

They  are  very  fond  of  athletic  sports,  and  football  and  jump- 
ing are  practiced  by  them  to  a  considerable  extent.  They  in- 
dulge in  many  exercises  that  test  their  strength,  such  as  pulling 
each  other's  arms  when  locked  together,  wrestling,  lifting  each 
other  or  heavy  weights,  and  many  such  exercises  that  will  bring 
into  play  everj-  muscle.  Many  of  them  excel  in  jumping  and 
kicking,  and  occasionally  one  is  found  who  can  kick  with  both 
feet  higher  than  his  own  head,  a  performance  that  few  white 
athletes  can  accomplish.  Little  Zaksriner,  whose  picture  ap- 
pears at  the  opening  of  this  chapter,  performs  a  most  wonderful 
feat.  She  clasps  her  hands  behind  her  back,  bending  forward 
until  her  head  touches  the  floor,  and  straightens  up  without 
bending  her  knees  or  unclasping  her  hands. 

The  principal  amusement  of  the  Kskimo,  however,  is  dancing, 
and  they  indulge  in  it  upon  the  slightest  provocation.  While 
the  women  take  part  in  this  pastime,  it  is  with  moderation,  and 
as  a  sort  of  embellishment  to  the  fatiguing  and  wearisome  jump- 
ing about  so  cea.selessly  practiced  by  the  men.  They  seem  to 
find  the  most  enjoyment  in  blending  their  voices  with  tho.se  of 
the  men  in  song.  Although  they  do  not  possess  the  accomplish- 
ment to  a  very  great  extent,  nor  is  the  number  of  tunes  verj' 
large,  yet  there  is  a  harmony  in  them  all  that  becomes  the  more 
pleasing  to  the  ear  the  oftener  they  are  heard. 

When  dancing,  one  or  more  of  the  men  beat  upon  a  drum 
made  by  stretching  a  piece  of  walrus  entrail  over  a  hoop,  and 
this  .serves  as  a  time-marker  for  the  participants  in  the  dance,  to 
which  the  grotesque  throwing  about  of  the  arms  and  twisting  of 
their  bodies  are  made  to  add  .1  pantomimic  accompaniment. 
During  all  this  time  they  jump  and  whirl  about  in  the  most  vio- 
lent manner,  and  only  stop  from  sheer  exhaii«tion. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


REINDIiKR. 


CT 


F'lVE  years  ago  a  United  States  revenue  cutter,  which  was 
detailed  by  the  government  to  patrol  the  Arctic,  so  as  to 
render  assistance  to  the  whaling  vessels  if  they  should  be  nipped 
in  the  ice,  had  occasion  to  pass  within  sight  of  a  little  island  in 
North  Bering  sea,  and  about  forty  miles  from  the  coast,  known 
as  King's  island.  The  man  on  the  lookout  at  once  noticed  a  boat 
put  off  from  the  island,  loaded  with  people,  and  it  immediately 
paddled  toward  the  vessel.  As  soon  as  it  came  alongside  the 
occupants  made  known  to  the  captain  that  they  were  in  a  starv- 
ing condition.  An  officer  was  at  once  sent  ashore,  and  he  soon 
returned  and  reported  that  the  people  were  so  reduced  for  food 
that  they  had  been  living  for  some  weeks  on  their  Ivskimo  dogs. 
There  are  about  300  Eskimos  on  this  island,  and  they  live  in 
huts  dug  into  the  side  of  a  mountain,  gaining  an  entrance  and 
passing  from  one  to  another  bj'  means  of  pole  ladders  strung 
along  an  abrupt  portion  of  it,  and,  though  difficult  of  access,  the 
location  of  the  huts  affords  protection  from  the  severe  winds  and 
cold  of  the  long  winter.  For  eight  months  in  the  year,  the  ice 
absolutely  prevents  the  natives  from  having  any  communication 
with  those  on  shore,  and  they  only  come  in  contact  with  them 
when  they  venture  acrGi:s  the  water  in  their  skin  boats  during 
the  brief  summer. 

A  few  years  ago  the  walrus  existed  in  large  numbers  through- 
out all  this  region.  The  whalers  on  their  way  north  have  hunted 
them  so  closely  that  they  have  jiractically  exterminated  them. 
The  walrus  travel  in  herds,  jmlling  out  on  the  ice,  sleeping  and 
basking  in  the  sun,  and  in  f'is  condition  become  an  easy  prey 
to  the  white  man  with  his  breech-loading  rifle.  They  are  hunted 
by  the  whalers  simply  for  their  ivory  tu.sks,  a  pair  of  them 
weighing  from  eight  to  twenty  pounds,  and  having  a  value  of 
only  about  eighty  cents  per  pound.     The  ivory  is  used  by  the 


i 

'11 


iia 


ALASKA. 


natives  in  the  manufacture  of  manj'  of  their  implements  of  the 
hunt  and  chase,  their  skin  is  used  by  them  for  tents  and  cover- 
ings for  their  boats  pnd  canoes,  and  the  flesh  and  oil  are  consid- 
ered by  them  a  delicacy. 

Five  or  six  years  ago  it  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  a 
party  of  Eskimo  to  put  out  in  a  skin  boat,  and  with  their  crude 
harpoon  and  spears,  capture  a  whale,  but  the  American  whalers 
have  so  closely  pursued  them,  that  now  they  are  onlj-  found  a 
long  distance  north  of  the  last  settlement.  During  the  summer 
of  1894,  but  one  whale  was  caught  by  the  Eskimo.  A  single 
whale  will  average  from  twelve  hundred  to  two  thousand  pounds 
of  whalebone.  Its  market  value  is  from  four  to  six  dollars  per 
pound,  and  it  is  easily  seen  that  a  whaler  that  captures  three  or 
four  whales  in  a  season,  comes  pretty  near  paying  for  his  ship, 
outfit  and  the  risk  he  runs  in  entering  those  icy  fields  in  search 
of  this  valuable  animal. 

Since  the  advent  of  the  whalers  many  natives  have  bought 
muzzle-loading  rifles  and  ammunition  from  them,  and  have 
hunted  the  wild  reindeer,  killing  them  off  without  regard  to  age 
or  sex,  until  they,  too,  are  practically  exterminated.  A  few 
years  ago  they  roamed  all  through  Arctic  Alaska  in  large  herds, 
but  the  past  year  but  two  of  them  were  killed  by  these  people. 
Thus  it  will  be  .seen  that  the  greed  of  the  white  man  has  robbed 
these  people  of  two  of  their  principal  food  supplies,  until  to-day 
they  are  left  in  almo.st  a  starving  condition,  being  obliged  to 
depend  almost  entirely  upon  the  hair  seal  and  small  fish  for  their 
food  supply. 

Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson  was  on  board  the  revenue  cutter  when  it 
visited  King's  island,  and  on  his  return  to  Wa.shington  City,  he 
interested  the  government  in  behalf  of  the  starving  Eskiino,  and 
.secured  an  appropriation  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  reindeer 
from  Siberia,  where  they  exist  in  immense  herds.  The  purpose 
contemplated  being  to  establish  stations  in  different  parts  of 
Arctic  Ala.ska,  instruct  the  Eskimo  in  the  manner  of  rearing 
them,  and  when  they  learn  to  care  for  them,  as  the  natives  do  in 
Siberia,  di.stribute  them  among  the  natives  so  that  in  the  future 
they  will  have  an  unfailing  food  and  clothing  supply. 

The  author  of  this  book  was  selected  by  the  government  to 
establish  a  reindeer  station  at  Port  Clarence,  and  in  the  sunnner 
of  1892,  one  hundred  and  seventy  of  these  animals  were  brought 
over  from  the  Siberian  coast  and  the  station  duly  organized. 


•iM 


I 


I: 


Kings  Island,  Nokth  Ui;rin<'.  Ska. 


The 
reiii 
are 
1 
Itc 
rein 
nan 
the 
com 
thes 
is  f( 
Uni 

UStt 

sea; 


mos 

is  d 
erl> 

glO! 

at  t 
iss( 
Th( 
nat; 
seal 
ski] 
tho 
con 
bue 
but 
Till 
by 


5**I«i' 


i*u.»i'«*««"ryi*/l 


"*w-'«i;i«  ^ 


REINDKER. 


"3 


The  increase  the  first  year  was  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  and  other 
reindeer  have  been  brought  over  each  year  since,  so  that  there 
are  now  nearly  seven  hundred  in  the  herd. 

Arctic  Alaska  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  raising  of  reindeer. 
It  consists  of  vast  areas  of  tundra  and  moss  which  furnishes  the 
reindeer  with  an  article  of  food  especially  adapted  for  their  suste- 
nance. There  is  little  doubt  that  the  reindeer  industry  will,  in 
the  near  future,  asssume  considerable  proportions,  and  private 
companies  will  embark  in  the  business  of  raising  this  animal  in 
these  regions  for  commercial  purposes,  the  same  as  stock-raising 
is  followed  in  the  grazing  regions  in  many  of  the  States  of  the 
Union.  Its  flesh  is  excellent  and  as  palatable  as  the  venison 
usually  found  in  the  market,  and  the  hides,  if  cured  in  the  proper 
season,  are  well  adapted  to  many  purposes  of  commerce. 

The  color  of  the  fur  of  the  reindeer  is  varied.  Perhaps  the 
most  common  is  the  seal -brown,  and  when  free  from  other  shades 
is  decidedly  rich  in  appearance.  The  fur,  for  such  it  may  prop- 
erly be  called,  after  it  has  taken  on  its  summer  coat  is  .soft  and 
glossy  and  about  the  length  of  that  of  the  fur-seal.  When  taken 
at  this  season,  if  properly  dres.sed,  it  sheds  very  little.  The  skin 
is  soft  and  pliable,  and  but  little  thicker  than  that  of  the  fur-seal. 
The  reindeer  skin  was  at  one  time  the  only  one  used  by  the 
natives  for  their  clothing,  tents,  and  everything  else,  but  now  the 
seal  and  ground  squirrel  skins  play  an  important  part.  Reindeer 
skins  have  Ijecome  a  matter  of  luxury  with  the  natives,  and  only 
tho.se  who  deny  themselves  other  things  that  they  need  for  their 
comfort,  wear  reindeer  clothing.  In  the  country  about  Kotze- 
bue  Sound  occasionally  a  skin  is  secured  from  a  wild  reindeer, 
but  is  so  rare  that  it  assumes  somewhat  the  nature  of  a  curiosity. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that,  practically,  all  the  reindeer  skins  used 
by  the  Alaskan  Ivskimo  come  from  Siberia. 


CHAPTER    Xlir. 


MISSIONARIKS   AND   THHIR    WORK. 

IT  was  in  1793,  that  Catherine,  Empress  of  Russia,  sent  mis- 
sionaries to  Russian  America  to  instruct  the  natives  in  religion, 
and  at  the  same  time,  also  sent  convicts  from  Siberia  to  teach 
them  agriculture.  The  result  of  this  strange  admixture  was, 
that,  in  ten  years,  the  number  of  natives  was  largely  reduced,  the 
outrages  of  unscrupulous  men  being  so  unspeakable.  The  lives 
of  natives  were  valued  no  more  than  those  of  dogs  ;  and  the  spirit 
and  life  were  nearly  stamped  out  of  such  as  sur\'ived. 

The  Russian  proverb — "Heaven  is  high  and  the  czar  dis- 
tant"—  was  followed  literally,  and  t'^.'  indignities  practiced  upon 
the  unfortunate  natives  were  without  limit.  A  few  priests  of  the 
Greek  faith  tried  to  stem  the  tide,  but  succeeded  in  an  indifferent 
manner.  Their  missions  were  established  at  different  points  on  the 
coast,  and  even  in  the  interior.  TI;e  natives,  attracted  by  the  pomi> 
and  ceremony  of  the  church,  were  attentive  listeners  and  ob- 
servers. But  they  understood  very  little,  and  not  much  informa- 
tion was  imparted,  aside  from  teaching  the  Russians  and  half- 
breed  children  the  rites  of  the  church.  Indian  attendance  was 
not  encouraged  in  the  Russian  schools. 

During  the  Russian  occupancy.  Fins,  Swedes,  and  Germans 
were  largely  employed  by  the  fur  company,  and  a  Lutheran  mis- 
sionary was  sent  out  to  Sitka  for  their  benefit,  and  a  mission 
established  in  1845.  The  Russian  schools  and  churches,  for  the 
most  part,  were  closed  in  1867,  when  the  American  flag  dis- 
placed that  of  Russia ;  and  Russians  and  other  Europeans 
returned  to  their  respective  countries,  leaving  the  people  "cor- 
rupted and  degraded  by  their  influence. ' '  The  Lutheran  preacher 
with  his  flock  also  departed.  United  States  soldiers  were  placed 
in  frontier  posts,  and  a  new  set  of  tradero  took  the  jilaces  of  the 
former  ones. 

For  seventeen  years  Congress  neglected  to  provide  any  form 
of  civil  government  for  her  new  possessions;  all  i)rogress  was 
checked,  and    healthful  development  was  at  a  discount.     This 


MISSIONARIHS  AND  THEIR  WORK. 


115 


was,  no  doubt,  due  to  the  bitter  denunciations  of  the  purchase  of 
Alaska,  and  the  ridicule  heaped  upon  what  was  sneeringly 
referred  to  as  '  Seward's  follj."  Alaska  was  considered  by  the 
great  American  piople  as  a  whole  to  be  an  inhospitable  region  of 
perpetual  snow  and  ice  ;  peopled  by  ignorant,  fierce  and  degraded 
savages  —  notwithstanding  the  statement  which  has  been  so  often 
quoted  from  Mr.  Seward's  speech  on  Alaska:  "That  it  must  be 
a  fastidious  person  who  complains  of  a  climate  in  which,  while  the 
eagle  delights  to  soar,  the  humming  bird  does  not  disdain  to  flutter. ' ' 
Finally,  the  tales  of  gold  discovery,  coupled  with  the  work  of 
American  and  other  missionaries,  stimulattd  our  government 
into  attempting  an  assumption  of  its  duty.  It  is  an  undoubted 
fact,  that  the  present  geographical  knowledge  of  this  vast  coun- 
try has  been  largely  gained  through  devoted  missionaries,  and  it 
is  also  due  to  this  class  of  persons  that  the  natives  have  learned 
"that  the  white  men  are  not  all  bad,"  abelief  strongly  implanted 
in  their  minds  from  their  intercourse  with  viscious  traders,  and 
imscrupulous  persons. 

To  Dr.  Sheldon  Jack- 
son, who  first  visited 
.Alaska  in  1884,  is  due, 
in  a  large  measure,  the 
present  excellent  condi- 
tion of  the  Alaska  .school 
system.  He  saw  for  him- 
self the  degradation  and 
ignorance  which  prevailed 
among  the  natives,  and 
the  virgin  field  offered  for 
educational  and  other 
work.  Through  his  efforts, 
Mrs.  A.  R.  McFarland,  an 
intrepid  woman,  took  up 
the  work  at  Fort  Wrangel, 
where  a  native  teacher 
named  Philips  had,  un- 
aided, sought  to  elevate 
i)K  siiKi.DoN  J ACKso-  the   moral    status   of  his 

people,  and  instruct  them  in  civil  methods.  Mrs.  McFarland 
became  nurse,  doctor,  undertaker,  preacher  and  teacher.  No 
marriage  ceremony  then  existed  among  the  natives,  and  poly- 


Ii6 


ALASKA. 


gamy,  slavery  and  devil  dances  were  common.  Her  untiring 
efforts  did  much  to  eradicate  these  evils,  and  further  substantial 
progress.  She  left  Fort  Wrangel  a  few  years  later,  and  is  now 
engaged  in  the  same  work  at  the  lower  portion  of  Prince  of 
Wales  Island,  where  she  is  loved  and  respected  by  the  natives. 

In  1885,  Congress  made  an  appropriation  for  the  Alaska  pub- 
lic school  system,  and  Dr.  Jackson  was  appointed  General  Agent 
of  Education  for  the  territory.  In  this  capacity  he  has  estab- 
lished schools  in  the  most  advantageous  points  throughout  the 
whole  territory,  and  the  apportionment  of  the  public  moneys, 
among  the  already  established  church  denominations,  has  made 
the  missionary  work  of  Alaska  a  mighty  bulwark  of  religious 
strength  for  the  welfare  of  the  natives.  Dr.  Jackson  is  truly  a 
pioneer  christian  worker.  After  many  years  of  arduous  duty  in 
a  number  of  the  western  territories,  he  sought  a  new  field  in  the 
great  Ala.skan  territory.  He  was  confronted  by  the  totally  un- 
organized state  of  the  country,  devoid  of  laws  or  government, 
but  his  indomitable  spirit  was  not  held  down  by  difficulties 
—  he  gained  the  ear  of  the  powers  at  Washington --and  his 
earnest,  fervent  faith  is  daily  proved  by  his  works.  To  Dr. 
Jackson  also  belongs  the  credit  of  importing  reindeer  from  Siberia 
to  Arctic  Alaska.  While  in  .search  of  new  fields  for  missionary 
and  school  work,  he  discovered  that  the  Eskimos  were  starving. 
He  at  once  interested  government  in  the  cause,  and  to-day  the 
industry  of  domesticating  reindeer  in  that  .section  is  an  assured  fact. 

In  this  connection  it  is  proper  to  add  that  this  humane  propo- 
sition was  at  first  met  with  severe  criticism  and  opposition  on 
the  grounds  that  it  was  impracticable  and  a  useless  expenditure 
of  public  money.  And  were  it  not  that  Mr.  Harris,  I'nited 
States  Commissioner  of  Education,  gave  it  his  hearty  support 
and  encouragement,  the  most  beneficent  act  ever  extended  to  a 
worthy  and  starving  people,  would  not  have  become  as  it  has, 
an  assured  success.  And  to  this  broad-minded  and  worthy  official 
who  has  stood  faithfully  by  the  cau.se  of  education  in  Alaska,  is  also 
largely  due  the  credit  of  its  advancement  in  this  far  off"  territory. 

The  first  school  in  Alaska  was  organized  at  Kadiak  by  Gregory 
Shelikoff",  in  1 784.  And  the  first  church  building  was  also  there 
erected;  it  still  exists,  but  the  school  has  been  extinct  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century. 

The  Indian  industrial  training  schools  have  proved  excellent 
institutions.     Among    these    three    deserve    especial    mention. 


P 
h 


MISS.ONARIKS  AND  THKIK  WORK. 


ttf 


They  are  located  at  Sitka,  Koserefski  on  the  Yukon,  and  at  New 
Metlakahtla.  The  founder  and  director  of  the  latter  is  Mr, 
William  Duncan,  to  whose  work  reference  is  made  elsewhere  in 
this  volume.  The  school  at  Sitka  is  partially  aided  ly  this  gov- 
ernment and  is  under  the  management  of  the  Presl)\  terian  Board 
of  Home  Missions,  and  that  of  Koserefski  is  under  Roman  Cath- 
olic supervision. 

In  these  schools  the  boys  are  taught  painting,  carpentry, 
shoemaking  and  other  trades.  The  girls  are  instructed  in  cook- 
ing, baking,  .sewing  and  all  branches  of  i)lain  housekeeping,  the 
purpose  in  .short  of  these  schools  being  to  civili/e  and  chris- 
tianize the  native  children. 

The  number  of  i>rivate  schools  sujiported  by  various  religious 
denominations,  is  nineteen,  while  the  number  sui)ported  by  the 
government  is  sixteen.  The  Russian  church,  establi.shed  .so 
long  ago,  has  many  communicants,  but  many  of  tlieni  retain 
their  belief  in  witchcraft,  jjolygamy  and  kindred  barbarous  prac- 
tices. 

The  indefatigable  efforts  of  teachers  and  missionaries,  their 
absolute  devotion  to  the  work  of  civilization  and  christianizing 
the  natives  of  Alaska,  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  this 
hitherto  neglected  people.  There  has  been  mental,  moral  and 
physical  growth,  whose  influence  is  far-reaching,  and  which 
.should  command  the  hearty  sympathy  and  support  of  all  humani- 
tarians, irrespective  of  class  or  creed. 

The  Creek  church,  .so  early  in  the  field,  had  a  few  —  a  very 
few  —  noble  exceptions  among  their  priests  who  did  good  work 
for  the  natives. 

Father  Tosi,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  has  labored  long 
years  with  devotion  on  the  Yukon.  Father  Altlioff  after  .sixteen 
years  of  Ala.skan  labor  has  been  appointed  to  work  in  Yancouver, 
Hrltish  Columbia.  He  opened  the  mission  work  in  Juneau, 
founded  there  the  school  and  hospital  of  .St.  Anns  and  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  Through  many  discouragements  and  uncer- 
tainties. Father  AlthofF  and  the  good  sisters  labored  at  Juneau, 
receiving  nothing  for  their  .services  save  their  frugal  board  and 
modest  apparel.  ITpon  his  departure  to  his  new  field,  the 
Scanhliii/it,  of  Juneau,  on  February  25th,  i8y5,  gave  a  most 
fitting  tribute  to  his  services,  which  con«luded  thus:  "As  a 
priest,  the  prayers  of  his  people  will  go  with  him,  as  a  citizen 
he  will  l)e  greatly  mis.sed;  as  one  of  the  worthy  pioneers  of  the 


■'i 


Ii8 


ALASKA 


territory  he  will  ever  he  hekl  iti  j^rateful  reinetnhrance  by  all  who 
feel  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Alaska." 

Rev.  Hall  Vounj?  ard  wife,  formerly  at  Fort  Wranjjel.  Pro- 
fessor and  Mrs.  John  A.  Tuck,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  stationed  at  Unalaska,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  T.  Lopp,  Con- 
gregational, at  Cape  Ptiiice  of  Walts,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I.  Looniis 
Gould,  Presbyterian,  at  Jackson,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  I'..  A.  Austin, 
Presbyterian,  at  vSitka,  have  all  worked  for  a  number  of  years 
with  a  devotion  rarely  equalled. 


HAKHISON   U    'nUiKNTDN 

The  noble  family  of  martyrs  have  also  been  recruited  within 
Alaskan  borders.  Father  Juvenal,  a  Rus.-ian  priest,  was  killed  at 
Cook  inlet  for  his  interference  with  polygamy.  Archl)ishop 
Seghers,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  was  murdered  on  the 
Yukon  by  a  traveling  companion.  A  teacher  named  F!dwards  was 
killed  at  Kake  village  in  i  S()i,  while  attempting  to  enforce  the  law 
in  regard  to  the  landing  of  whisky,  and  in  the  summer  of  1S93, 
Harrison  R.  Thornton,  a  young  missionary  and  teacher  who, 
with  his  wife,  was  stationed  at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  was  cruelly 
murdered  by  Fl.skimos,  for  which  act  there  was  no  cause  and  which 
could  have  been  prevented. 


CHAPTr-R  xrv 


TIIK    linlNIiAKV    DISITTi;. 


'T'HI''  carl  J-  founders  of  the  American  nation,  who  sought  an 
asylum  in  New  Ivngland,  free  from  the  religions  intolerance 
and  oi)])rcssion  of  the  mother  country,  declared  that  they  ofTered 
a  shelter  to  ihe  "  oj)presscd  of  every  nation."  The  invitation 
thus  extended  by  the  early  pioneers  was  generous,  and  how  it 
has  been  taken  advantage  of  is  evidenced  to- day  by  the  fact  that 
the  I'nited  States  has  a  cosmopolitan  pojiulation. 

Tiiose  who  sought  these  shores  to  make  homes  and  become 
good  citizens  have  been  welcomed.  They  have  had  the  protec- 
tion of  govertiment  and  have  become  factors  in  the  upbuilding 
of  the  republic.  And  the  open  arms  and  generous  freedom 
which  the  I'nited  vStates  has  ever  extended  to  kinsmen  over  the 
water  are  traits  that  but  typify  our  national  characteristics.  Xo 
sentries  have  been  stationed  on  crag  or  promontory  lo  warn  off 
intruders  ;  no  large  standing  army  has  been  maintained  in  order 
that  the  people  might  exercise  all  their  rights  of  citizenship. 
Differences  with  other  nations  which  have  arisen  from  time  to 
time  have  been,  for  the  most  part,  settled  by  arbitration.  Some- 
times we  have  had  our  rights  acknowledged,  and  at  others  we 
have  acquiesced  in  unfavorable  decisions,  that  the  credit  and 
honor  of  the  nation  might  be  maintained  and  that  peaceful 
relations  might  be  sustained.  No  spirit  of  national  aggrandize- 
ment has  Ijcen  manifest  in  the  history  of  the  United  States.  The 
notable  wars  of  this  nation  have  been  waged  in  the  name  of  life 
and  liberty,  and  for  the  united  country. 

International  complications  have  not  been  unknown,  it  is  true, 
but  it  is  submitted  that  this  country  has  been  fair,  reasonable 
and  placable,  always,  in  dealing  with  questions  of  comity,  com- 
merce or  privileges  with  other  nations.  In  the  matter  of  the  fur 
seal  dispute  with  England,  the  defeat  suffered  by  our  govern- 
ment, is  yet  fresh  in  the  minds  of  all  our  citizens.     The  award 


!| 


lao 


ALASKA, 


made  by  the  Paris  tribunal  seems  to  us  to  be  most  unjust,  and 
yet,  as  an  advanced  civilized  nation,  our  honor  would  be  impugned 
were  it  noi  strictly  adhered  to.  No  nation  worthy  of  the  name 
can  afford  to  besmirch  its  reputation  by  any  attempt  to  repudiate 
a  solemn  compact.  Hardly  had  the  decision  of  the  Paris  tribu- 
nal been  handed  down,  before  the  attention  of  the  country  was 
called  to  a  matter  in  which  England  again  became  the  aggressor, 
and  that  too,  in  connection  with  the  territory  of  Alaska.  This 
is  the  so-called  boundary  dispute  between  Canada  and  the 
United  States,  embracing  a  portion  of  Southeastern  Ala  ska. 
While  the  British  and  Canadian  authorities  have  been  active,  our 
government  and  people  have  shown  an  apathetic  spirit  in  deal- 
ing with  the  question;  but  it  is  now  noted  that  attention  is  being 
directed  to  it,  largely  through  the  instrumentality  of  citizens  of 
Alaska  and  the  State  of  Washington  who  are  conversant  with 
the  question,  and  of  the  importance  of  this  strip  of  territory, 
from  commercial  and  geographical  aspects,  being  retained  to  the 
northern  territory  and  to  the  United  States.  We  believe  ihat  it 
is  time  for  a  re-enunciation  of  the  patriotic  principle  contained 
in  the  Monroe  doctrine,  if  our  self  respect  as  a  nation  cannot  be 
otherwise  maintained — "  that  the  United  States  will  not  permit 
European  interference  or  European  control  in  America,  north  or 
south." 

In  view  of  the  importance  of  this  question  to  the  United 
States,  and  especially  to  Alaska,  it  is  in  order  here  to  consider 
the  subject  in  its  various  details.  The  claim  made  by  the  British 
government,  acting  at  the  instance  of  Canada,  embraces  a  valu- 
able strip  of  land,  a  portion  of  which  is  the  key  to  a  vast  extent 
of  the  interior  of  Alaska,  rich  in  mineral  and  other  resources. 
Though  tne  immense  valuv^  of  this  land  cannot  be  accurately 
determined,  a  knowledge  of  its  geographical  position  on  the 
coast,  shows  that  great  commercial  advantages  will  accrue  from 
its  possession,  and  that  the  United  States  cannot  afford  to  be 
otherwise  than  firm  and  aggressive,  in  asserting  and  maintainng 
our  rights  to  ownership  of  this  strip. 

By  the  organic  act  of  Alaska,  in  the  absence  of  the  governor, 
the  clerk  of  the  court  shall  act  in  that  capacity.  Upon  the 
assembling  of  Congress  last  December,  the  governor  was  called 
to  Washington,  and  soon  after  he  left  Sitka,  the  disputed  bound- 
ary question  was  given  new  impetus,  by  the  appearance  of  a 
party  of  Canadian  surveyors  at  Juneau,  wiiom  '.i  was  reported 


THE  BOUNDARY  DISPUTE. 


131 


HON.  CHAKI.IIS   I).   K()('.i;rS. 

were  to  iinniediately  commence  a  survej'  into  the  interior  via  the 
Taku  river,  and  that  this  action  was  to  be  followed  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  British  garrison  in  Alaskan  territory.  Acting 
Governor  Rogers  said  he  would  call  out  the  militia  and  swear 
into  service  the  whole  native  population  of  Alaska,  if  any  at- 
tempt was  made  to  occupy  any  portion  of  our  territory,  or  inter- 
fere in  any  way  with  the  rights  of  American  citizens.  This  burst 
of  patriotism  on  the  part  of  the  young  oflicial  earned  for  him  the 
title  of  war  governor  of  Alaska,  and  had  there  been  any  cause 
for  such  action,  the  sturdy  miners  and  settlers  throughout  the 
territory,  to  a  man,  would  ha\e  rallied  to  his  support. 

An  interpretation  of  the  treaty,  concluded  lietwecn  Russia  and 
England  in  1S25,  clearly  establishes  the  line  of  demarkation 
between  what  is  now  Ala.ska,  and  what  constitutes  a  portion  of 
Canada. 

This  treaty  was  brought  about,  primarily,  l)y  a  ukase  of  the 


132 


ALAvSKA. 


Russian  C/.ar,  issued  in  1.S21,  to  the  effect,  that  foreign  vessels 
would  not  be  allowed  to  approach  within  one  hundred  miles  of 
Russian  America.  Negotiations  followed  this  ukase,  resulting  in 
the  treaty  between  Russia  and  England  in  1825,  wherein  Russia 
accepted  54  degrees  and  40  minutes  north  latitude  as  the  south- 
ern limit  of  her  possessions.  The  treaty  was  couched  in  the 
following  language: 

"Sec.  3.  The  line  of  demarkation  between  the  possessions 
of  the  high  contracting  parties  upon  the  coast  of  the  continent 
and  the  islands  of  America  tu  the  northwest,  shall  be  drawn  in 
the  following  manner:  Commencing  from  the  southernmost 
point  of  the  island  called  Prince  of  W'^les  Island,  which  point 
lies  in  the  parallel  of  54  degrees  40  minutes  north  latitude,  and 
between  the  131  and  133  degrees  of  west  longitude:  the  .^anie 
line  shall  a.scend  to  the  north  along  the  channel  called  Portland 
channel  as  far  as  the  point  of  the  continent  where  it  strikes  the 
56th  degree  of  north  latitude:  from  this  last  mentioned  point  the 
line  of  demarkation  shall  follow  tlie  summit  of  the  mountains 
situated  parallel  to  the  coast,  as  far  as  the  point  of  intersection 
of  the  141  degree  of  west  longitude  (of  the  same  meridian),  and 
finally,  from  the  said  point  of  intersection  of  the  141  degree,  in  its 
prolongation  as  far  as  the  frozen  ocean,  shall  form  the  limit  be- 
tween the  Russian  and  British  po>'^essions  on  the  continent  of 
America  to  the  northwest. 

"  Sec.  4.  That  wherever  the  summit  of  the  mountains*  which 
extend  in  a  direction  parallel  to  the  coast,  from  the  56  degree  of 
north  latitude  to  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  141  degree  of 
west  longitude,  shall  jirove  to  be  at  the  distance  of  more  than  ten 
marine  leagues  from  the  ocean,  the  limit  between  the  Briti.sh 
po.s.se.ssions  and  the  line  of  coast  which  is  to  belong  to  Russia  as 
above  mentioned,  shall  be  formed  by  a  line  parallel  to  the  wind- 
ings of  the  coast,  and  which  shall  never  exceed  the  di.stance  of 
ten  marine  leagues  therefrom,'' 

It  will  be  noted  that  at  the  time  of  the  purchase  of  Russian 
America  by  the  United  States,  in  1867,  the  limits  of  the  territory 
were  described  in  the  articles  of  cession  by  Russia,  in  the  exact 
language  which  apjiears  in  this  treat}  above  referred  to.  It  will 
also  be  observed  that  the  name  Portland  canal  is  mentioned  as 
the  eastern  boundary  as  far  north  as  the  fifty-si .\th  degree  north 
latitude.  - 

At  the  time  of  the  treaty  between  Russia  and  Kngland  little 


ten 
clai 
Ru 
Icai 
or 


MMBMMMIHMMMlMk. 


THE  BOUNDARY  DISPUTK. 


'23 


was  known  of  this  region,  save  througli  the  explorations  of 
Captain  George  Vancouver.  In  his  narrative  published  towards 
the  close  of  the  last  century,  he  speaks  of  Portland  carpi,  and 
also  located  a  certain  rock  in  Behni  canal,  and  named  it  "  New 
Eddystone  Rock,"  after  the  rock  near  the  south  coast  of  England 
upon  which  stands  the  famous  Eddystone  light-house  known  to 
mariners  the  world  over.  The  Alaska  rock,  "  New  Eddystone," 
is  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  and  about  sixty  feet  in  width 
at  its  base. 

When  the  treaty  of  1825  was  made,  England  recognized  the 
claim  of  Russia  to  the  territory  as  far  east  as  Portland  canal,  and 
continued  this  recognition  until  the  purchase  was  made  by  the 
United  States  in  1S67.  For  more  than  twenty  years  preceding 
the  treaty  the  Hudson  Hay  Company  paid  Russia  an  annual 
rental  for  the  privilege  of  trading  in  the  inland  waters  to  the 
northwest  of  Portland  canal,  and  our  government  maintained  a 
garrison  at  Fort  Tongas  at  the  mouth  of  this  canal  until  1S70 
and  a  custom  house  until  i.ScSg. 

The  maps  ij^sued  by  the  United  States  since  the  Alaska  pur- 
cha.se  and  tho.se  published  by  the  British  authorities,  followed 
generally  the  .same  line  of  demarkation.  until  the  year  1S87.  At 
that  time  a  change  was  noticed  in  the  British  maps,  for  their  line 
was  then  made  to  extend  within  the  limits  defined  by  the  maps 
of  our  government.  Hence,  it  is  only  fair  to  infer,  that  when 
this  strip  of  land  became  better  known  to  England,  and  its  value 
more  or  le.ss  accurately  determined,  a  first  attempt  was  made  to 
set  up  a  claim  to  the  territory,  through  the  medium  of  maps 
published  by  the  British  government. 

And  the  claim  once  set  up,  it  may  be  further  inferred  that  in 
any  negotiations  which  should  follow,  England  would  rely  upon 
the  power  of  British  craft  and  diplomacy  to  win  both  the  point 
and  the  territory.  The  policy  pursued  by  the  English  govern- 
ment in  this  matter,  is  entirely  in  keeping  with  the  method  of 
aggrandizement  that  has  been  followed  for  hundreds  of  years  by 
Great  Britain. 

The  line  of  demarkation  followed  by  the  United  States  ex- 
tended ten  marine  leagues  back  from  salt  water  into  the  interior, 
claiming  a  strict  interpretation  of  the  articles  of  cession  from 
Russia,  who.se  language  was  construed  to  mean  ten  marine 
leagues  or  thirty-four  miles  inland  from  every  point,  -cheUier  b^y 
or  iuirt,  where  salt  water  washed  the  shores  of  the  mainland, 


184 


ALASKA. 


unless  a  defined  range  of  mountains  intervened  running  parallel 
with  the  coast,  in  which  case,  the  summit  of  such  range  became 
the  limit. 

The  British  claim,  that  where  the  summit  of  the  mountains  are 
not  within  the  ten  marine  league  limit,  the  boundary  shall  be 
that  distance  from  the  main  channels  of  water.  They  also  claim 
that  the  eastern  boundary  shall  run  due  north  from  the  southern- 
most point  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  until  it  intersects  Behm 
canal;  thence  following  this  channel  north  as  far  as  the  fifty- 
sixth  degree  of  north  latitude:  thence  following  the  line  of  the 
coast  to  the  intersection  of  the  141  degree  of  west  longitude. 
Nowhere  along  the  coast  between  Portland  canal  and  Mt.  St. 
Elias  does  there  appear  to  be  a  defined  range  of  mountains,  but 
rather  a  confused  jumble,  having  no  regularity  of  course  or  bear- 
ing any  relation  to  each  other,  and  the  noble  peak,  Mt.  St.  Elias, 
that  defines  the  boundary  between  the  British  possessions  and  our 
territory  at  the  141  degree  of  west  longitude,  stands  solitary  and 
alone  in  its  awe  inspiring  magnificence. 

By  reference  to  the  map,  it  will  be  observed  that  in  taking 
Portland  canal  as  the  eastern  limit,  an  castwxrd  course  must  be 
followed  from  the  southernmost  point  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island, 
in  order  to  reach  said  canal.  It  will  also  be  noted,  that  from  the 
extreme  northern  limit  of  Portland  canal,  to  the  nearest  salt 
water  —  that  of  Walker  cove,  an  arm  of  Behm  canal  —  it  is  about 
thirty-four  miles.  It  is  therefore  fair  to  presume  that  in  taking 
the  canal  for  a  boundary,  it  was  with  a  view  of  measuring  from 
the  inland  waters,  and  not  the  main  channels.  It  is  also  worthy 
of  note,  that,  if  it  was  not  intended  to  take  this  canal  for  the 
eastern  boundary,  it  would  not  have  been  necessary  to  have 
mentioned  it  in  the  treaty,  and  the  simple  reference,  due  north, 
would  have  been  all  that  was  necessary  to  convey  the  intent 

It  is  also  claimed  by  the  British,  that  this  canal  could  not 
have  been  intended,  because  it  does  not  extend  to  the  56  dogree. 
It  is  true  that  it  does  not  reach  that  point  by  abcut  one  mile,  but 
if  it  were  five  or  even  ten  miles  shorter,  it  would  lot  be  any 
stronger  argument  for  the  other  side,  for,  in  the  langu.age  of  the 
treaty,  "  the  same  line  shall  ascend  to  the  north  along  the  chan- 
nel called  Portland  channel  as  far  as  the  point  of  the  continent 
where  //  strikes  the  56  degree,'  the  line  is  what  is  intended 
should  strike  the  56  degree,  and  not  the  channel.  Should,  then, 
the  claim  of  Great  Britain  be  finally  allowed,  she  will  acquire  a 


THE  BOUNDARY  DISI'UTE. 


"S 


strip  of  country  seventy-five  by  one  hundred  miles  in  extent  be- 
tween Portland  and  Behm  canals,  which  rightfully  belongs  to  the 
United  States. 

While  stress  is  laid  upon  the  encroachments  that  this  bound- 
ary line  of  the  British  would  make  upon  our  eastern  coast,  it 
cannot  be  too  clearly  demonstrated,  that  where  their  boundary 
line  deflects  westward  at  about  58  degrees,  forty  minutes  north, 
and  thence  follows  to  the  136  degree  of  west  longitude,  and  there 
takes  a  southwesterly  course  to  Mt.  St.  Elias,  is  to  be  found  a 
strip  of  coast  territory  upon  which  the  natural  greed  of  England 
has  particularly  set  its  eye. 

This  coast  land  furnishes  the  outlet  to  the  great  interior  of 
Alaska,  and  it  is  the  only  available  entrance  to  its  immense  gold 
fields.  Ever  since  the  interior  country  has  presented  a  field  for 
the  gold  prospector,  miners  have  gone  over  the  mountains  from 
the  head  of  Lynn  canal,  and  when  the  time  comes,  as  it  surely 
will,  within  the  next  few  jears,  to  construct  a  railroad  into  the 
valley  of  the  Yukon,  and  on  to  Bering  sea;  our  go\  i  i  nment  must 
not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the  contour  of  the  country  will 
cause  it  to  start  from  the  head  of  Lynn  canal,  in  an  overland 
route,  where  no  abrupt  mountains  obstruct  the  way. 

The  British  claim  to  this  one  hundred  s«,|uare  miles  of  terri- 
tory would  also  include  Glacier  Hay,  the  most  wonderful  body  cf 
water  in  the  worid.  It  is  about  twenty  miles  wide  by  forty  long. 
Ten  other  glaciers  beside  the  celebrated  Muir  glacier  pour  their 
huge  bodies  into  this  magnificent  bay,  and  then  move  on  through 
channels  many  fathoms  deep  out  into  the  sea.  Snow-clad  moun- 
tains with  their  deep  ravines,  moraines  and  mountainous  gorges 
fringe  the  bay  on  all  sides,  and  help  to  form  one  of  the  most 
enchanting  and  delightful  spots  that  the  imagination  can  conceive. 

It  is  well  known  that  a  foreign  ship  cannot  land  passengers 
on  American  soil  without  conforming  to  certain  laws,  and  as  'ong 
as  Glacier  Bay  is  in  United  States  territory,  British  ships  can- 
not transport  tourists  trax^eling  over  Canadian  roads  and  land 
them  in  this  bay.  Neitiber  can  for^g^  ships  discharge  foreign 
goods  in  American  territory  without  observin^^  ct-rtain  customs 
regulations.  But  il  the  Engiisfa  sbnuld  accinire  territory  inside 
any  of  the  inland  waters  of  Lynn  canal,  or  Taku  inlet  twelve 
miles  south  of  Juneau,  they  could  establish  stations,  cciistruct 
trails  or  wagon  route^  into  the  interior,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
WBOaid  control  the  trade  of  that  region. 


136 


ALASKA. 


Thus  it  is  clearly  apparent  that  many  reasons  which  do  not 
appear  on  the  surface,  besides  the  mere  desire  to  acquire  a  strip 
of  land,  cause  England  to  push  her  claim  to  a  settlement  of  the 
boundary  question  in  her  favor. 

Should  the  gold  fields  of  the  interior  develop  to  the  extent 
anticipated,  a  large  emigration  is  sure  to  come  hither,  and  in  its 
wake  will  follow  the  growth  of  mining  and  other  resources,  and 
commerce  will  reach  vast  proportions. 

The  point  sought  to  have  been  reached  during  our  controversy 
with  England  over  the  northern  boundary  of  the  then  territory 
of  Oregon,  which  gave  rise  to  the  cry  "  fifty-four  forty  or  fight," 
is  the  point  where  our  Alaskan  possessions  begin,  and  had  Alaska, 
at  that  time  been  ours,  we  might  not  have  weakly  receded  from 
our  position,  and  the  stretch  of  country  which  to-day  lies  between 
the  State  of  Washington  and  Alaska,  might  furnish  the  missing 
link  in  the  continuous  chain  of  our  coast  line  from  Lower  Cali- 
fornia to  the  frozen  ocean. 

Petty  and  unworthy  of  the  grandeur  of  a  nation  upon  whose 
empire  the  sun  never  sets,  may  seem  the  narrative  which  we  now 
desire  to  present,  as  another  of  the  many  reasons  why  England 
is  seeking  to  make  good  her  claim  to  this  territory.  Little  things 
have   ere  this  made  the  great  covetous. 

Some  thirty-eight  years  ago,  a  young  Englishman  named 
William  Duncan  landed  at  Fort  Simpson,  about  seven  miles  south 
of  the  Alaskan  l)oundary.  He  came  altne,  knowing  nothing  of 
the  people  among  whom  he  was  about  to  cast  his  lot,  but  at  the 
early  age  of  twenty-one,  solemnly  dedicated  his  life  to  the  cause 
of  raising  from  barbarism  a  race,  whose  fre(|uent  acts  of  cannibal- 
ism stamped  them  as  among  the  most  savage  people  on  the  face 
of  the  earth. 

Fort  Simpson  was,  for  many  years,  one  of  the  most  important 
trading  posts  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  It  is  truly  said  that 
the  number  of  bear  .skins  necessary  for  a  native  to  purchase  a 
muzzle-loading  rifle  depended  upon  the  luunber,  piled  one  upon 
another,  that  it  took  to  reach  the  muzzle  of  the  gun,  when  the 
butt  end  rested  on  the  ground.  The  agents  of  this  company 
were  safely  quartered  behind  stockades,  within  which  enclosure 
only  n  certain  number  of  natives  were  ever  admitted  at  one  time. 
Yet  this  darntless  youth,  filled  with  the  spirit  of  the  Master,  and 
full  of  confidence  in  an  over-ruling  Providence,  dwelt  in  a  cabin, 
through  the  sides  of  which  there  were  no  port-holes,  and  within 


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THE  KOUNDARY  DISl'UTE. 


127 


whose  walls  no  rifle  was  at  hand  in  case  of  an  attack  from  outside. 

Metlakahtla  was  the  village  that  Mr.  Duncan  established  more 
than  a  third  of  a  century  ago.  There  eight  hundred  natives  lived 
and  prospered.  Taught  by  their  devoted  friend,  they  sawed 
logs,  built  houses,  canned  salmon,  and  engaged  in  nearly  every 
branch  of  business  that  would  utilize  the  products  of  the  coun- 
try. A  church  edifice,  that  would  do  credit  to  many  a  larger 
white  settlement,  reared  its  spire  heavenward,  and  every  man, 
woman  and  child  in  the  settlement  regularly  sought  religious 
consolation  there. 

But  a  representative  of  the  Church  of  England  appeared 
among  them,  and  insisted  that  that  portion  of  the  sacrament, 
wherein  wine  is  administered,  and  which  Mr.  Duncan  had 
ignored,  should  be  observed.  His  reason  for  not  carrying  out 
this  important  tenet  of  the  church,  was  that  he  had  found  his 
greatest  trouble  in  teaching  the  natives  to  avoid  intoxicating 
drinks  ;  and  he  reasoned,  that  if  he  permitted  wine  at  the  sacra- 
ment, his  people  would  not  understand  why  they  should  not 
indulge  in  liquor,  at  other  times. 

Mr.  Duncan's  prejudice  in  this  matter  was  so  strong  that  he 
said  if  his  course  were  not  permitted,  he  would  take  his  people, 
like  the  pilgrims  of  old,  to  some  place  where  they  could  exercise 
religious  liberty,  untrammeled  by  church  dogmas.  The  church 
ruling  was  insi.stant,  and  Mr.  Duncan,  ecjually  determined,  went 
to  Washington,  sought  Mr.  Cleveland  and  explained  how  the 
Church  of  England  had  attempted  to  supplant  him  with  another 
minister   among   the  people  to  whom  he  had  devoted  his  life. 

He  was  assured  by  the  President  that  this  government  would 
offer  an  asylum  where  they  could  enjoy  religious  freedom  ;  and 
promised  that  Congress  would  take  action,  looking  to  their  pro- 
tection. Accordingly,  on  March  3,  1891,  a  bill  was  passed,  set- 
ting aside  Annette  island  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  these  natives, 
but  immediately  following  his  visit  to  Washington,  and  upon  the 
strength  of  the  promise  that  his  people  would  be  protected,  they 
abandoned  their  improvements,  and  property,  gave  up  their  com- 
fortable homes,  and  with  only  a  few  household  goods,  went  out 
into  the  wilderness.  On  the  seventh  day  of  August,  18.S7,  they 
arrived  at  their  present  home,  naming  it  New  Metlakahtla,  and 
under  the  graceful  folds  of  the  .stars  and  stripes,  which  they  had 
flung  to  the  breeze,  they  solennily  transferred  their  allegiance 
from  Canada  to  the  United  States. 


I 


138 


ALASKA. 


In  the  past  seven  years  a  settlement  has  been  built  up  that 
bears  witness  of  wonderful  progress  in  civilization  by  these  peo- 
ple. They  live  in  comfortable  houses,  many  of  them  handsome 
and  homelike.  Every  branch  of  business  is  represented  as  in 
their  old  home,  only  in  a  more  advanced  scale,  and  the  people 
are  self-sustaining,  industrious  and  happy.  And  age  reminds 
Mr.  Duncan  that  his  task  is  nearly  finished.  The  thirty-eight 
years  he  has  spent  among  these  natives  finds  them  enjoying  all 
the  benefits  of  civilization,  and  in  quiet  possession  of  homes 
earned  by  honest  toil.  But  is  it  any  wonder  that  he  looks  into 
the  future  with  sad  misgivings,  and  in  fear  that  the  hand  of  his 
old  enemy,  now  stretched  across  the  boundary,  and  taking  his 
settlement  within  British  lines,  will  yet  draw  his  people  in  its 
avaricious  grasp  ? 

We  do  not  believe  the  American  Congress  can  afford  to  stultify 
itself  bj'  yielding  one  jot  from  the  position  it  has  taken  in  this 
matter  to  Mr.  Duncan,  and  to  which  it  solemnly  stands  com- 
mitted. That  it  is  clearly  the  intention  of  the  Canadian  govern- 
ment backed  by  Eu gland  to  secure  this  strip  of  territory,  is 
unmistakable.  For  the  past  two  years  the  labors  of  the  Canadian 
boundary  commission  have  been  marked  by  a  determination  to 
obtain  all  possible  information  concerning  the  disputed  territory. 
Government  engineers  and  surveyors  have  been  indefatigable  in 
their  explorations  to  secure  in  detail  thorough  and  exhaustive 
knowledge,  which  will  be  placed  before  the  joint  commission 
when  the  boundary  question  comes  up  for  adjudication  next 
November.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Canadian  government 
will  make  out  the  strongest  possible  case,  and  in  this  it  will  be 
aided  by  the  intimate  knowledge  of  the  country  gained  by  the 
actual  investigation  of  their  engineers.  But  it  seems  to  us  that 
a  correct  interpretation  of  the  treaty  of  1825,  coupled  with  a  firm 
presentation  of  our  case,  should  leave  the  British  claim  without 
any  support  whatever,  and  with  such  vigorous  assertion  of  our 
rights,  Alaska  will  not  be  despoiled  of  a  valuable  portion  of  her 
heritage. 


IS  THE  BEST  LINE   FOR 

ALASKA  P^'  PACIFIC  COAST  POINTS 


AND  THE  ONLY  J|^£  YELLOWSTONE 

LINE  TO  

NATIONAL  PARK  AA 

THROUGH  TICKETS  FROM 

CHICAGO 
WASHINGTON 
PHILADELPHIA 
NEW  YORK 
BOSTON 

AND  ALL  POINTS  EAST  AND  SOUTH 

FOR  FULL  INFORMATION  CALL  ON  OR  WRITE 

B.  N.  Austin,  Assistant  Oeneral  Passenger  Agent,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
A.  I,.  Crnig,  Assistant  (ieneral  Ticket  Agent,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
Cleo.  R.  Hitch,  General  Eastern  Agent,  iig  Broadway,  New  York. 
F.  H.  Hogarty,  General  Agent,  210  South  Clark  St.   Chicago,  111. 

T.  K.  Stateler,  Gen.  Agt.  Pass    Dept.  638  Market  St.,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Chas  K.  Johnson,  817  Carnegie  Building,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Frank  A.  Gross,  15  State  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

J.  H.  Rogers,  Jr.,  47  South  Third  St.,  Philadelphia. 

I,.  I..  Billingslea,  47  South  Third  St.,  Philadelphia.  1 

Wm.  G.  Ma.son,  44  Hxchange  St.,  Buffalo,  N.  V. 

W.  K.  Mershon,  319  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

A.  U.  Edgar,  Helena,  Montana. 

Wm.  Tuohy,  Butte,  Montana. 
Geo.  D.  Rogers  St.  Paul,  Minnesota. 
Thomas  Henry,  128  St.  James  St  , -Montreal,  Quebec. 
W.  H.  Whitaker,  153  Jefferson  Avenue,  Detroit,  Michigan.  ■ 
J.  E.  Turner,  42  Jackson  Place,  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

C.  G.  Lemmon,  210  South  Clark  St..  Chicairo.  111. 
H.  Swintord,  Winnipeg,  Manitoba. 


R.  A.  Eva,  Duluth,  Minn. 


J.  N.  Robinson,  99  Wisconsin  St.,  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 
P  11.  Noel,  103  North  Broadway,  St.  I.ouis,  Mo. 
J.  J.  Kerry,  Room  32  Carew  Bldg.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
c.  Vanderbilt,  503  West  Locust  St.,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 


E.  L.  Rayburn,  255  Morrison,  Cor.  Third,  Portland  Oregon 

F.  O'Neill,  -i55  Morrison,  Cor.  Third,  Portland,  Oregon. 
I.  A.  Nadeau,  General  Agent,  Seattle,  Washington. 

A.  Tinling,  General  Agent,  Taconia,  Washington. 
F.  D.  Gibbs,  General  Agent,  Spokane,  Washington 

CHAS  S.  FEE. 

Genl.  Pa.ss.  and  Ticket  Agt.,  St.  Paul,  Minn 


A.  I).  CHARLTON, 

Asst.  Genl.  Pass.  Agt.,  Portland,  Ore. 


